A Beastly Beauty (rewriting)
by Understated Elegance
Summary: Two years after losing his battle against Beast, Gaston has recovered physically, but mentally, he's still pretty bruised up. Faye Winters comes to the quaint little village to find a groom, & quickly sets her sights on him. But is the arrogant man willing to comply? Rated M for later chapters. /Gaston&OC
1. -Introduction-

_**Disclaimer:**_

_**Comments, private messages, & advice is always appreciated. I love to hear other opinions, but please, keep the bs to a minimum. This story will be getting more mature in the future, with dom/sub themes. So be warned, & 18+ please.**_

_Author's Notes:_

_Hello, readers! Feel free to ignore this introduction, it doesn't affect the story very much._

_I wrote this fanfiction because I was sick & tired of all the sob-story "Gaston is a Lifetime movie rapist" fics out there. It's sickening how everyone seems to take his character so one-sided, & all I ever see on fanfic sites is him beating Belle or going He-Man on some poor random. Yeah, he's a misogynistic jerk through-out much of the Disney film, but really, who bothered to do anything other than to stroke his ego before he met Belle?_

_I personally think Gaston has been given a worse reputation than he earned; after all, he was being a typical French man of the 1700s (not saying he should be excused entirely, but it wasn't the most liberating time to be a woman). From his perspective, he tried to woo the prettiest girl, she went missing, & when she returned, she'd "fallen in love" with a hideous beast. & really, would you have believed the weird daughter of an even weirder man if she claimed that she fell in love with a creature that kidnapped her? Uhh, no, you wouldn't, you would probably assume she has the worst case of stockholm syndrome in history & do what Gaston (& the rest of the village) did._

_On a bit of a side note, __I also find it shallow that Belle was content with throwing away alllll of her dreams to be an adventurer just because she got with a prince... why does no one question this still? Her character was based off Audrey Hepburn & other women who were icons of the feminist movement, & was supposed to be an empowering role model for young girls. I feel a little uneasy that Belle was content with a Cinderella complex at the end of her own movie; the idea was supposed to be that she was empowered by being herself._

_As she should have, Belle avoided marrying Gaston __because he wanted her to be the typical housewife & basically tie down her dreams__. However, after meeting Beast & falling in love with him, the adventurous Belle is okay with becoming a princess & staying in the gilded castle for her "happily ever after" with the prince. Wat? Thanks for sticking it to women, Disney._

_I still like the movie of Beauty & the Beast very much, but it doesn't really have much of a magical vibe for me. Not many of the Disney princess movies do, actually. They're okay stories, but I personally wouldn't try to learn life lessons from them, if you know what I mean._

_Now that I've jabbered on, please enjoy the story!_

_~Claire_


	2. Drunkards & Inns

_**Disclaimer:**_

_**Comments, private messages, & advice is always appreciated. I love to hear other opinions, but please, keep the bs to a minimum. This story will be getting more mature in the future, with dom/sub themes. So be warned, & 18+ please.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong><span>Chapter 1:<span>**_

Gaston slammed his empty ale mug down on the table & wiped his mouth lazily with the back of his wrist. His ever-faithful servant, LeFou, was worried for the man, but didn't have the nerve to tell Gaston that he was terribly drunk at this point, & should head home for bed. Thankfully, the hunter had the same notion anyway & dragged his sorry self from the bar, letting out an ungentlemanly belch. Of course, the triplet prostitutes that graced the bar every night weren't bothered at all by the crass behavior, but encouraged it, giggling & hanging from his arms as he stumbled to his feet.

This was an all new low for the hunter, being the town drunk almost every night, but there was no pulling him out of it now. The women all too eagerly helped Gaston up to his feet after he stumbled a bit, escorting him out of _The leaky Boot_ & towards his home just down the street. LeFou followed closely behind the huddled group of people, that is, until he saw _her_. Just standing there, a young woman stood near a road sign, appearing to be lost. LeFou quietly gravitated towards her, wondering if the living, breathing, bijou doll was real.

**..._..._...**

Faye frowned to herself as she tried to determine where the nearest inn was in the small town she'd been dropped off in, but it was considerably dark out now, & she wasn't sure it would be wise to wander around a new place aimlessly. What was she to do? Well, she couldn't very well stand in place all night, it would cause the same problem as looking around aimlessly. Walking out into the street, Faye pulled the hood of her cape down & wrenched her hands together in apparent worry until a short little man stumbled before her, his grin wide & friendly.

LeFou stared up at the woman in adoration & relief. At first glance, he'd thought she was flawless; all he could see under her hood were the features of a pretty girl, & freckled porcelain skin. With her hood down, LeFou could see her curly & rusty-red hair, piercing green eyes. Up close, he could see more detail on her face, her hair less curl & more frizz, & the build of her body of a younger, willowy woman, rather than that of a temptress. Odd, but the little imperfections he noticed made her look a lot more approachable than before, perhaps cuter.

It didn't take LeFou long to realize that she was traveling, especially with the luggage she had lazily dropped onto the dusty main road. & damn if her single leather luggage case didn't look as heavy as LeFou himself. Going to her luggage, Faye sat down on it & lowered to eye-level with LeFou, giving him a peek at the violet, silken dress under her cape. Odd; a rich woman traveling all alone without a chaperone? It was unthought of.

"E-excuse me," the girl called to LeFou, gathering his attention from studying her physical appearance, "I was wondering if you could direct me to the nearest inn. Any place will do, I have the money to cover tonight." LeFou gave the girl his crooked smile & nodded excitedly, unable to contain his pleasing-servant attitude.

"Right this way, Mademoiselle!"

Quickly, LeFou grabbed Faye's hand & led her to the inn closest to Gaston's town house. The lady would be safe there with his boss nearby. Plus, it'd be easier to see her again. The girl graciously thanked LeFou, even giving him a real silver ecu for his time. Watching Faye go into the hotel, LeFou almost groaned aloud when he realized completely forgot to ask what her name was. Damn it.

**..._..._...**

The small, dank hotel room wasn't much to look at, but at least Faye would have a roof over her head tonight. For the past few nights, she'd huddled in a wagon, hid between trees, or bummed rides off of what appeared to be kinder folk. With the mercy of God, Faye was able to make it to the small village she was in now, & to run into the tiny man all too eager to help her.

If he was so kind, maybe others in this town would be as well. Maybe she could stop travelling & begin the second phase of her plan now. Pleased with this decision, Faye tossed her travelling trunk into the corner of her room, pulled off her walking shoes, & carefully climbed into bed. She wrapped herself in the warm blankets without taking off any of her clothes yawning & curling her body up almost completely; she'd have creases in her dress tomorrow, but that was something to worry about in the morning.

**..._..._...**

At the end of his drive, Gaston shooed away the triplets, as was the hunter's policy with women now, even with him was as drunk as he was. There was a time he would have allowed them into his home without a second thought, but ever since Belle & her wretched beast-prince trampled through his life, he couldn't seem to let himself rest at the thought of another person in bed with him. No, he had to be fully sober to even consider bedding a woman now, & sure that she wouldn't be able to slit his throat as he slept. Not that the prideful hunter would admit aloud that such things bothered him; he was the great Gaston, & taking such a hit to his pride was just as bad as dying in his eyes.

But he was afraid. Three sturdy locks secured the big man in his home before he swayed unsteadily upstairs to his room, falling into his massive bed without care. He was sunken into the comfortable mattress when he ripped off his shirt & boots, his pants & socks following suit. He didn't feel comfortable until he was without any clothing at all, jerking part of his blanket over him & pulling a pillow down under his head. Almost diagonal along his bed, the man laid down in an attempt to sleep. Hopefully tonight, he wouldn't be visited by more visions of beasts bigger than men & their ferocious teeth.


	3. The Three Reasons

_**Disclaimer:**_

_**Comments, private messages, & advice is always appreciated. I love to hear other opinions, but please, keep the bs to a minimum. This story will be getting more mature in the future, with dom/sub themes. So be warned, & 18+ please.**_

_Author's Notes:_

_Just gotta put it out there, because a lot of people get pissy with me over this chapter for some reason. Just because YOU know Belle & the Beast aren't royal jerks doesn't mean the characters do. As far as Gaston & Le Fou are concerned, she's a bitch that almost ruined them entirely. They're not omniscient like the viewer is, so I would like it if you didn't pull the "Belle's not a bitch" junk on me._

* * *

><p><span><strong><em>Chapter 2:<em>**

Faye was waiting outside of her hotel when LeFou set out to collect food for breakfast the next morning. This morning she was clothed in a cotton, vibrant yellow dress with a modest neckline, her unruly hair pulled back with a matching yellow ribbon; Faye looked almost like an expensive doll in her finery, turning the curious gaze of several passerbys, even if she didn't notice it. Yes, the beautiful girl from last night wasn't a fabrication of his mind. & she had sought him out this morning. Grinning from ear to ear, Faye gently pried LeFou's basket from him & hung it her wiry arm, following him to the market stalls.

"I'm Faye Winters," the woman announced as she strolled with LeFou, giving him a gentle smile. The man beside her blubbered a bit in embarrassment & gave her a quick nod, rubbing the back of his head as he trailed beside her.

"I'm... I'm LeFou..." he mumbled softly, "So, Mademoiselle Faye... what brings you to this village?" Faye stopped curiously checking out the village long enough to give LeFou another warm smile, the little man almost running right smack into a stall. She was dangerous, LeFou decided then; he had no doubt that Faye could melt ice with the warmth in her gaze.

"Well, you see... I am here for three reasons."

& that was all she told LeFou. He frowned & followed her to the stands, going through the market with Faye & buying some fresh vegetables & oats with her. Was it him, or did her presence get him fresher, more abundant produce than usual? Of course he wasn't imagining it. Every damned young man of the village seemed to be working the shops & stalls today, & apparently trying to get Faye's attention. But the girl didn't seem to notice their attention & simply chattered on about how nice the weather was. LeFou wondered to himself if Faye was purposefully avoiding his question from earlier as they walked now, but for the moment, it looked like she was just excited to walk around.

"Miss Faye, why is it that you're here again?" LeFou asked as they neared Gaston's home. His question went unanswered once more, for Faye had stopped walking in front of Marcell's book shop, right before marching in. Oh no, this girl was just like… just like Belle. LeFou vowed to protect her at that thought, keeping his distance right outside the shop as Faye looked curiously through shelves & made fast friends with Marcell. Ever since the air-headed harlot had run off with Beast, er, Prince Adam, Gaston had become particularly vicious & cynical towards the reading type of woman. He was shocked that the book shop wasn't burned to the ground already.

Thankfully, Faye came back outside without purchasing any books, but she looked more lively now, certainly excited. She gushed excitedly about dragons & knights so feverishly as they travelled that LeFou decided that she actually didn't remind him of Belle. Belle was a damned ice queen, too busy with her face in books to give anyone a second thought. Faye was the total opposite, trying to pull him into her imaginary world instead; she actually had LeFou eating out the palm of her hands for more of a story about Arthur & his court of knights when they reached Gaston's home.

Faye stopped her story-telling once they stood in front of Gaston's cottage, taking a moment to take in the sight of the plain building just on the edge of the village. The two took a small trail at the edge of town, the cottage just a quarter-mile away from the main street. The building was visible from town, but far enough away so that it was almost completely surrounded by a patchy bit of forest that led into the thicker wood. The front was a bit dismal however, no gardens or ornamentation was in the front of it; perhaps LeFou just wasn't much of a home designer.

Beckoning Faye to follow inside the cottage, LeFou wasn't too careful about being quiet as they started working on breakfast together, knowing that Gaston wouldn't come downstairs until the smell of food beckoned. Faye proved to be quite a help with the breakfast, fetching ingredients & indulging him with more stories. Her ability to recount was staggering to him, & she was very animated, making several different faces & grand hand-motions.

"So... why are you here?" LeFou asked a final time as they began to set the table. Faye's smile became a bit uneasy, but she explained anyway.

"Well, the first reason is that I'm worried for a girl; her name is Victoria Shell," Faye explained, "The poor dear headed in this direction a few months or so, & no one will tell me if she is doing well." LeFou nodded & helped Faye with setting the table, as well as putting generous portions of scrambled eggs, fried sausage, & toasted bread at the center. Maybe Gaston wouldn't have too much of a problem with the guest when he saw all of the food available.

**..._..._...**

LeFou was so busy listening to Faye that he didn't notice Gaston coming down the stairs. Hearing the sound of chatter, Gaston woke from his drunken stupor hauled himself out of his bed, pulling on his trousers when he considered there was a woman downstairs. They weren't fully buttoned up, but he couldn't help it; he thought he was going mad when he heard LeFou talking to a girl downstairs. The female sort didn't surround themselves with the like of LeFou, he was more of a... befriending animals kind of person. Now Gaston made his way to the kitchen quietly. His damned servant just kept talking to whoever was down there, totally incapable of sensing the oncoming panther of a man.

& at the entrance of the kitchen, Gaston could see Faye, & to his disbelief the girl talking with LeFou was beautiful; or at least, she appeared to be from behind. He almost felt like an uncontrolled school boy with the way his pants became constrictive when she shifted her weight to one foot; & he'd only seen her backside so far. The girl was chattering at his stove as he watched, mixing sugar into oatmeal for LeFou.

"& your other reasons?" LeFou urged. Faye tensed again & looked as though she wanted to run off on him.

"Well, another reason is that I'm looking to escape from a man who wishes to marry me back home," Faye said, "He's someone very terrifying, & I know for a fact he only wants my dowry. My Mama & Papa told me that I don't need any reason to marry him, but..." LeFou nodded & gently patted her hand to calm her down, but inside, he was growing nervous. This girl had run away from home, that was bound to bring up trouble sooner or later.

"If you need protection, Gaston can help!"

"Gaston?"

"Yes; he's the master of this house. He's a hunter!"

Faye stopped stirring the pot for a moment & seemed to ponder that for a moment before she continued mixing. LeFou noticed Gaston & froze in silent horror; the hunter was already behind Faye, looming behind her as she finished pulled the pot from the fire, onto the table beside the pit. The daft girl almost punched his lights out when she suddenly stretched out her arms, allowing him a view of the swell in her breasts. They weren't very big at all, but rounded rather nicely. Now that he let himself focus, she was a sinewy thing, still appearing to be more girl than woman; of course she was still woman enough to entice him.

"LeFou, does Mr. Gaston ever hunt… men?"

Gaston was taken aback by that statement; why would such a soft-spoken girl want to know if he hunted men? He looked to LeFou with a commanding glare to answer the inquiring girl & the servant nodded, blustering a bit when he realized that Faye couldn't hear him nod.

"Y-yes... he's hunted men before…."

Faye's relaxation was visible, an odd reaction for her to have; until Gaston's hands reached down & clamped onto her shoulders. & then her anxiousness came back in full force, the girl turning back with wide eyes. This was Gaston? Why, she barely reached the giant's shoulders at best. His hair was dark & unfashionably long, barely contained by a loose ribbon at his neck. It certainly didn't help to soften the look of his chiseled, scruffy face & fiercely blue eyes. If he didn't frighten her so much, Faye would have had a good mind to comment on his handsomeness.

Gaston, in turn, found himself instantly held by Faye's gaze. She was a pretty thing, yes, but he'd seen a lot of beauties in his life. No, it was her glittering, clearly-naïve gaze that made him want to drag her up to his bedroom; he immediately wanted to taint such innocence, something that disturbed even him. He didn't, of course. Not until he got some answers out of her anyway. He didn't allow for people to just waltz into his home unannounced, no matter how small & helpless she looked.

"Good morning, Monsieur Gaston."

The cheerfulness in Faye's voice pushed him off base again. Damn, she was smiling like an idiot, too. It made him seriously concerned for the girl's sanity as she grabbed the pot of oatmeal once more & brought it over to the table. Was she intentionally trying to make him dizzy with her actions, or did she truly not understand the severity of being in an uncommitted man's home?

"A-ah, Mademoiselle Faye!" LeFou interjected as he helped Faye sit in a chair at the table, "You said there was a third reason for you being in our village?" Faye's smile deepened & she nodded, waiting for the other two to join her at the table. Gaston felt himself warm up just a bit to her smile despite himself; why did such a rich girl look like she belonged in his home?

"Ah, yes," Faye replied to LeFou with an emphatic laugh, "My third reason to be here is to marry Monsieur Gaston."


	4. Breakfast Conversation

_**Disclaimer:**_

_**Comments, private messages, & advice is always appreciated. I love to hear other opinions, but please, keep the bs to a minimum. This story will be getting more mature in the future, with dom/sub themes. So be warned, & 18+ please.**_

* * *

><p><span><strong><em>Chapter 3:<em>**

Making an attempt to remain calm, Faye heard Gaston's reaction before she turned to look at him. It came in the form of a growl of frustration, a deep, guttural sound that made him sound more like a wild animal than a human. Faye jumped in response to the sound, her eyes widening as she turned her attention to Gaston fully. He was just standing there, & Lord help her, his right eye was twitching; the man seemed to be developing a tick. But then he just sat down without another word. Faye watched Gaston as he went from aggressive to subdued in moments, making his way to his chair & plopping down in the seat opposite of Faye's. LeFou was busy trying to scramble into his own seat when he heard a squeak from Faye, followed by the sound of her chair dragging on the floor. Now, he felt ashamed for having Faye remove her shoes at the door.

Gaston had casually wrapped his feet on one of her ankles to drag her to him, locking her ankle in place once she was close enough for his liking. Faye's face was as red, she could feel the heat of Gaston's foot seeping through her thin stockings, & it took her great effort to try & sit up at all. LeFou immediately went to Faye & tried to help her, almost knocking Faye out of her chair when he pulled it back a bit.

Gaston smirked at the two's vain attempt to free Faye & then suddenly released her ankle, his bellow of laughter filling the kitchen when Faye flew back in a flutter of petticoats. He got a good view of her adorable pantaloons before she hit the floor, LeFou letting out a mortified grunt & covering his eyes so he didn't see anything embarrassing. Gaston continued to laugh at the scene of LeFou helping Faye to her feet, her fluttering yellow skirts taking several minutes to readjust & dust off after she moved back to her feet. Just what was she thinking, wearing something as extravagant as that out in the country anyway?

Gaston was already stuffing his face with breakfast by the time Faye made her way back to the table, sitting down much less gracefully than before. She was desperately trying not to cry at her humiliation, her cheeks still rosy & her fringe sticking to her forehead as she tucked her feet under her chair & put some food onto her plate. But the woman didn't run from Gaston, or his home. So she had at least some courage under those dainty skirts, or at least subborness; if she wanted a battle of the wills, he was up for it.

Faye avoided eye contact with Gaston & ate her food quietly & slowly as LeFou struggled back into his own chair, watching both Gaston & Faye worriedly. His boss wasn't finished tormenting her, not now he knew that doing embarrassing things wouldn't send the fair lady running. But LeFou couldn't bring himself to ask Faye to leave; by her reaction to Gaston's bullying, he could tell she was very determined to get her way, & telling her to go would be a huge insult to her pride. LeFou had learned well with Gaston never to mess with pride.

"Please pass the salt, Monsieur LeFou," Faye requested in the awkward silence. Gaston looked up from his nearly empty plate, thoroughly amused to see his servant jumping to do Faye's bidding; she already had LeFou wrapped around her little finger. He had to bite back his own smile when he saw the gentle grin on her face, an annoying reflex he wondered came from. Her happiness was a little too contagious for comfort. This woman was going to drive him insane by the end of today if he let it. _If he let it._ As soon as breakfast was finished, Faye was out. As far as Gaston was concerned, she was only here now because she helped LeFou to cook breakfast.

"Thank you," Faye said, cutting though the hunter's planning, "I really do wish I could marry you instead, Monsieur LeFou."

That single, little comment tore Gaston's attempt on remaining calm. He knew her words shouldn't matter to him, but it did. Immensely so. LeFou's one moment of gushy happiness was ruined as Gaston grabbed the end of the table & flipped it out of his way. What was left of breakfast scattered on the floor & the distinct sound of the wooden bowls & plates could be heard as Gaston lunged out of his seat, his hands slamming down on the shoulders of Faye's chair, cornering her.

The entire kitchen was dead quiet as Faye tried to keep her composure & ignore the man so close to her that she could feel his breath on her cheek. With her best attempt to appear calm, Faye cleaned specks of food on her dress away. Gaston knew better, for he could see the slight shaking of her hands as she tried to accomplish her task. His anger dissipated as he realized just how much his anger affected Faye, & he struggled not to pull away from her right away; he'd be damned before he made any woman blatantly fearful of him, but this brat of a girl was starting to destroy his sanity. What kind of woman decided to marry a man within seconds of meeting him, then proceeded to flirt with other men?

"Look at me, Girl," Gaston growled impatiently after a few moments. Faye complied to his demand, her green eyes glittering angrily as she looked up to meet his gaze. She looked like she wanted to cry again, damn it all.

"Please don't yell, Mr. Gaston," Faye said, her voice determined, but shaky, "My hearing is sound. & My name is Faye, not "Girl". Faye Winters." Gaston tried his hardest not to break the frame of her chair at her snobbish attitude & closed his eyes, exhaling hard.

"I want you to tell me why you are here, _Faye_," Gaston then growled, "If marriage to any man will do, why come to me? Why not just marry this man you're running from? It can't be so bad to married for your money, the rich type marry off their kids for dowry all the time." Faye looked down, & for the first time since Gaston met her, she looked defeated by his words. Good, that meant he was wearing her down.

"A marriage to any many will most certainly _NOT_ do," Faye finally responded, looking back up with her resolve solid. LeFou pretended not to hear the two go back & forth as he scurried out of his chair to clean up Gaston's mess. Silently, he thanked himself for not using the fine china to impress Faye as he wiped up their ruined breakfast.

"I can't just marry any man, Mr. Gaston," Faye continued hesitantly once her voice was a bit stronger, "I need someone strong enough to defend my honor, & me. & as for the man I am running from… he is too terrifying. & I heard from other ladies that he hits his women. & then, Victoria disappeared... she wasn't the type to make her family worry like that."

Faye's gaze fell to her lap again & Gaston felt himself soften in sympathy against his will. This woman, although a brat, appeared to be genuinely afraid of this man who wanted to marry her. She had to be or she wouldn't be in this tiny village in the middle of nowhere, searching for the nearest alpha to protect her. But did she really think marriage was the answer to her problem?

Gaston sighed, moving back from Faye when he noticed that her pink lips weren't very far from his, the two of them having gotten closer as Faye defended herself to him. He wasn't going to let his baser instincts get the best of him right now, even though Faye looked pretty when she bucked up to him. He knew too well that if he attacked the young miss now, it wouldn't end with a kiss, & she would most certainly force him into marriage out of duty to protect her reputation.

"Look," Gaston grunted as he ran his fingers through his hair, "I'm flattered you think I would make a suitable husband for you, but I'm not the marrying type." Faye kept her gaze downward, appearing to be embarrassed, & he watched her for a few moment before explaining himself further.

"I really think you should head home," Gaston told Faye, "You shouldn't have run off from hom like you did; tell your father that you don't want to marry that woman beater, I'm sure he'll listen."

"You think I haven't tried that?!" Faye suddenly shrieked, "Mr. Gaston, I know I'm not a raving beauty, but I expected you to have a better excuse than that. Not the marrying type; pitiful!"

She didn't think she was a raving beauty? Gaston stared at the woman in open shock as she pushed the big oaf of a man from her chair & stalked her way to the door; okay, so she _was_ on the thinner side, & her hips didn't look very suited for child-bearing... but there was no way Faye didn't know that men stared at her. She was no fertility goddess, but she _was _pretty. Gaston continued to watch at the harmless girl turned hellion & LeFou chased after her, watching her as she tried to push her hair over her shoulder & shoved her small feet back into their shoes, fastening them up.

"Mademoiselle, where are you going?" LeFou asked in a panicked tone. Gaston tried to ignore them & flipped the table back into its proper spot; Faye was a whiny little kid, he didn't need to put up with her. The sooner she was out of his village, the better; he had enough issues with being a pariah of the village.

"I'm going find myself a husband," Faye announced to LeFou as she opened the front door, "There has to be at least one man in this town willing to marry me."

Gaston felt an uneasy chill run down his spine & turned in time to see the front door slam shut. LeFou gave him a panicked glance before he opened the front door & ran out after Faye, trying his best to convince the girl to calm herself. She wasn't listening. Gaston growled & made his way to the door, even angrier when he saw Faye's intended destination; the daft girl was headed for _The Leaky Boot_, her stride long & hellbent, & her fancy yellow dress billowing about her. & he knew that none of those men were going to be thinking of "marriage" when a helpless-looking girl like her went waltzing in.

Cursing under his breath, Gaston went upstairs to grab a shirt & his boots. He glanced at his favorite whip hanging from the wall & grabbed it too just in case, even though he knew Faye wasn't going to be much trouble once he caught up with her; how much could the girl possibly screw up in a bar? He cursed Faye under his breath every step of the way downstairs & finished pulling on his tunic as he walked out the front door, the sturdy wood almost falling off its hinges as it was slammed shut behind him.


	5. The First Kiss

_**Disclaimer:**_

_**Comments, private messages, & advice is always appreciated. I love to hear other opinions, but please, keep the bs to a minimum. This story will be getting more mature in the future, with dom/sub themes. So be warned, & 18+ please.**_

* * *

><p><span><strong><em>Chapter 4:<em>**

LeFou watched in horror as Faye stomped her way into _The Leaky Boot_ & slammed the old bar's front door shut on his face. The little man fell back with a grunt, freezing when he fell back against something solid. Looking up, he was more than surprised when he saw his boss staring intently at the door of the bar; didn't Gaston want Faye out of his hair? At first, LeFou didn't realize just how angry the hunter was, not until he saw the flex in Gaston's jaw. That wasn't a very good sign.

"LeFou, get home & clean up that damned mess you left on my floor," Gaston ordered. LeFou didn't bother reminding Gaston that it was him that made the mess & nodded in a panic, running off towards the house. He was worried for Faye inside the bar, but he knew she would be safe… well fairly safe compared to any thugs who dared to mess with her.

As his servant scurried away, Gaston stood in front of _The Leaky Boot_ for a few more moments, calming himself into something that didn't quite resemble blind fury. However, by the time he was calm, whistles & hoots of laughter reached his ears, pushing him into full-on anger again. Just what was that stupid girl up to, & within such a short amount of time? The hunter let out a low growl of irritation & pulled his whip from its fasten along his belt, unwrapping it slowly in his hands. This might get a bit messy if the men didn't back down, but maybe he'd be lucky & the girl would be cowering right by the front door.

**..._..._...**

There was no such luck, of course. When Gaston opened the door to the Leaky Boot, he immediately spotted Faye among the throngs of customers. She was currently arguing with one of the drunken men, & rather fervently at that. Gaston could see the large ale stain on the skirt of her dress after a few moments & held back a sigh. She just knew how to get in the worst trouble in the slightest of ease, didn't she? Gaston had all he could take when the man leaned forward & grabbed Faye's arm, the lecherous look in his eye all too easy to spot. Gaston instantly wanted to kill him.

"Come on, Mademoiselle," the man mumbled with a slurred laugh, jerking her closer by the arm, "Let's go somewhere & get you cleaned up. A pretty thing like you shouldn't smell like a traveler anyway."

Faye gave the man the meanest, angriest glare she could muster & jerked her arm from him, but his fingers remained tightly clamped on her arm, refusing to release her. Finally, she was starting to realize how foolish it was to march into a place like this, Gaston thought to himself, but he didn't have the patience or a black-enough heart to let this go on anymore, readying his whip.

A deafening whistle filled the bar, making everyone, Faye included, freeze in place. Faye's captor released her & she looked towards the source of the noise, her eyes widening at the sight of Gaston resting his shoulder on the door frame of the front entrance, his arms crossed over his chest. Was that viking of a man really that large earlier? She'd gathered that he was strong, but seeing him in the door frame made everything around him seem tiny, insignificant. Even the man's thighs were muscular. It didn't help at all that Gaston looked irreversibly angry, & it took all of Faye's courage not to run in the opposite direction of him. & dear God, he was staring at her now.

Gaston finally stood straight, the top of his head almost grazing the doorway as motioned to Faye to come to him with a crook of his finger. Faye shook her head stubbornly at his summoning, & Gaston nodded in return. Faye looked horrified, but straightened herself after realizing that it was probably best to leave the nest of rowdy men, even if her savior was a menace. Besides that, she didn't think he was above going to get her himself, & that would probably involve more embarrassment on her part. Slowly, the woman began to make her way to Gaston, making an effort to concentrate on his eyes. Many men in the bar moved out of her way frantically as she weaved around tables, but Faye paid no mind to them & kept walking to Gaston, keeping herself focused on the goal of escaping.

Of course, there was always that one stupid rebel in the bunch. The man who had been fighting with Faye didn't see what was so intimidating about Gaston & reached forward to grab at the girl, mischief gleaming in his eyes. Before his fingers made contact with Faye's shoulder, Gaston's whip sliced through the air & struck its mark. The man howled in pain & fell to the floor, clutching his bleeding hand. Faye turned towards him & stared in horror as he clung to his injury, barely able to process what had just happened.

"_FAYE!_" Gaston bellowed from the door, gaining her attention again. She looked back at him & tried to ignore the pitiful man on the floor beside her & Gaston crooked his finger in a come-hither motion once more. Worry crept into her mind about what the hunter wanted from her, but the fear that someone else would reach for her filled her panicked mind in the next instant, trumping her previous worries. Faye scurried at full speed towards Gaston & slammed right into him with her momentum, his arms both sliding around her shoulders before she could back away from embarrassment. She was safe now; he had her in his grasp. The hunter could feel her trembling against him & her heart pounding in her chest, & he did his best to wrap his arms around her tighter around her wiry body & still her anxious response.

Gaston freed one of his hand as Faye's trembling calmed, forcing her gaze to meet his own. She looked up at him confusedly & saw the concentration in his eyes, her own stare reminding him of a cautious deer caught in the scope of his gun, right before he pulled the trigger. Impulsively, Gaston took Faye's moment of confusion to his advantage & leaned down, gently rubbing his lips on hers; Faye's mouth soft on contact that Gaston had to remind himself to breathe, his fingers sliding from her cheek to the back of her neck.

The possessive part of him growled in triumph as Faye grew limp against him, her cheeks now rosy red as she tried to imagine what the men watching them thought of Gaston's display. No one dared to laugh or make any jests at his kiss, however. The man's actions were a blatant show of ownership over his prize. When Gaston pulled back, he'd only given Faye a soft kiss but she slumped in his arms anyway, her anxiety leaving her in a dead faint; who would have guessed that ladies actually did that. This worked just as well in Gaston's eyes, he didn't want Faye to witness this next part.

Cradling the unconscious woman against his chest, Gaston freed up his whip & lashed it forward, watching as the last few inches wrapped around the wrist of the man who was still curled up on the floor & jerked him forward with a simple flick of his wrist. The offender let out a pitiful sound of pain & stumbled forward, landing before Gaston's feet as he stared at the ground, unable to look up at him directly.

"Look at me, bastard," Gaston commanded the man in a quiet growl. The man obeyed & looked up hesitantly into Gaston's piercing gaze. If looks could kill…

"If you even come near my wife again, I will make you _wish_ for death; do we have an understanding?"

The man nodded & kept all of his questions to himself. Gaston was a married man all of a sudden? For how long? Just who was the woman, anyway? Before he could even finish asking himself the questions, Gaston's hand reached out before his face expectantly.

"I want money for her dirtied dress," Gaston told him quietly, "Now." The man nodded & fished some coins from his pocket, offering them up to the hunter. Gaston could only imagine how humiliated he was, being exposed for the grimy, shameless pervert he was. Good. Gaston snatched it from his hand & then scooped Faye's body up with both arms, carrying her back to his house; he felt an odd clenching in his stomach as she clung to him when she was unconscious, something that made him feel… good. & needed. He wasn't sure why he'd allowed himself to fall into the role of her protector, but here he was, carrying her away from the bar she'd thrown herself into.

Gaston kicked himself inwardly as he returned home & took her to the parlor. The man knew he was being ludicrous & impulsive, but the thought of Faye marrying another man made his skin crawl; after all, if she'd decided him so worthy of marriage, why look any further? He'd deal with the consequences of this affliction of his conflicting feelings later, but for the first time in years, since he'd chased after Belle, he wanted a woman as his, & she'd reached out to him first; & he wasn't letting this one slip through his fingers.

**..._..._...**

LeFou had just finished cleaning the last of the dishes from the floor when Gaston pushed his front door open & made his way into the house, casually walking to the parlor with Faye curled up in his arms. She looked rather unscathed from her adventure in the bar thankfully, & when Gaston laid her unconscious body on his settee, she clung to his neck something fierce;. LeFou was very confused when he saw a small grin break out onto his boss' face; Gaston brought her back to the house? After all the fuss of her being around earlier, he still brought her back here, & they looked... closer somehow. Noticing his nosy servant, Gaston made his way to the door of the salon & slammed it shut in LeFou's face before ordering him to get back to cleaning. LeFou paled visibly & jumped at the abrupt action, almost dropping the plate in his hand.

Inside the salon, Gaston paced back & forth in front of the settee as Faye "napped," his eyes darting towards her before he had to force his gaze away again. Was he really going to marry her now? Just like that? He didn't even know if he could trust a woman to sleep in his bed, & yet he'd boldly announced that she was already married to him in The Leaky Boot. & what if he'd scared her enough in the bar to make her change her mind about him? If she was sane, she'd run from a man like him, but he still hoped that she wouldn't hate him when she awoke.

A soft groan from Faye roused Gaston from his wondering, & for a moment, he stared at her in complete fear, as though she was somehow more frightening than any other beast he'd faced before. He quickly shook his mind of this silly notion & strode over to Faye, kneeling beside her to make sure she wasn't too rattled from earlier.

Finally allowing himself to look at Faye, he gathered that she did look a bit... distressed. The bottom of her pretty yellow gown was tattered & browned with dirt, there was a gross ale stain down the front of her skirt, & her red hair was wild & even more frizzed than earlier, the ribbon taming it earlier completely missing. But he still found her… cute somehow; she looked more like a woman as she slept, & less like a pouting brat. Faye leaned up on her side as he wondered to himself, looked at him, & blinked a few times. He was dead silent as he watched her just watch him… & then she smiled lightly, pushing away his worry that she would be scared of him now. & damn it all, Gaston felt himself smile back as he helped Faye sit up, carelessly pushing a flower pot out of his way to sit on the coffee table in front of her.

"Feeling better now that you've had a nap?" Gaston asked, his voice still neutral. Faye looked uneasy as she remembered what happened before she went unconcious, but gave a small, noncommittal shrug, her cheeks rosy with embarrassment. Gaston nodded & took her response as a yes, more to himself than Faye & stood up, towering over her again.

"Good; now get up," Gaston ordered her, "We're going out to buy your wedding gown."


	6. Obey

_**Disclaimer:**_

_**Comments, private messages, & advice is always appreciated. I love to hear other opinions, but please, keep the bs to a minimum. This story will be getting more mature in the future, with dom/sub themes. So be warned, & 18+ please.**_

_Authors Note:_

_It's funny how many comments I've gotten about Gaston's character throughout this story, even people going as far as to tell me that he's a rapist or a predator. I'm sorry, did you think a fanfiction with Gaston (even a romance) was going to be sunshine & giggles? Or that his character would suddenly transform into someone gentle & lovey-dovey just because a nice girl showed up at his door? Jeez people, grow up, & start using that mush you call a brain._

* * *

><p><span><strong><em>Chapter 5:<em>**

Faye didn't move at Gaston's order; if anything, she looked more confused than anything else, staring up at him all wide-eyed again. Gaston felt like ripping his own hair out as he sat down on the coffee table once more, leaning his elbows onto his knees, his large body crowding hers in close proximity. He wanted to get this show on the road before he lost his nerve, & really, he almost had already.

"What?" Gaston grunted, sounding more brunt than he originally intended. Faye didn't seem phased by his brutish attitude, still flushing & squirming in her spot on the settee. Damn it, she was so adorable when she got embarrassed like that; it wasn't fair how quickly she was wrapping him around her finger, nor was it logical that he be affected so easily by a woman.

"You... changed your mind?" Faye asked, awkwardly playing with the skirt of her soiled dress as she looked up at him again. Gaston cleared his throat in the silence that filled the room after her question, rubbing the back of his neck with one of his big hands. Faye remembered what it felt like to have his hand on the back of her own neck & looked down again, feeling her heart racing all over.

"Within the condition that we get this done soon," Gaston finally told her, "Tomorrow, to be exact. I figure I haven't done anything stupid in a long time, & there are worse things than marrying a rich girl with a massive dowry."

Faye looked put off by this comment, but kept her gaze down. He knew he'd probably hurt her feelings, but he wasn't going to lie to her face. She wanted to use him for protection, & he may as well get something out of it as well. Even if they never left the village for longer than to meet her sure-to-be pissed parents, having a dowry like hers would make their lives easier in the future. Faye didn't say anything for a long time, & Gaston began to wonder to himself if she was having second thoughts now, his gaze watching her for any sign of pulling away, or a reaction that would mean that she had reconsidered marrying him, but she didn't seem to be too eager to run away... not yet.

"Back there… that was my first kiss."

Faye finally looked up to Gaston at that announcement, lightly biting her lower lip. Of course it was. Gaston couldn't believe that he hadn't considered such a possibility before, but then, he hadn't grown up near many rich families, & he forgot how much a girl's virtue was protected, even moreso than the woman he'd come in contact with. Gaston was almost shocked he didn't hear a damned chastity belt jingling around when he carried Faye from the bar, now that he thought on it. But that wasn't the issue right now; the matter he needed to address was the nervous wreck in front of him, & Faye squirming around, confessing her complete lack of experience to him.

"Faye, come here," Gaston ordered her quietly, their gazes meeting as she watched him, still hesitant, "Please."

After a couple long, agonizing moments of staring between the two, Faye nodded & went to Gaston's side, her hands wringing the material of her skirt more fervently than before. It was a bit absurd, the two of them crowded together on his small coffee table instead of the settee, but Gaston supposed it was better this way; Faye couldn't wiggle away as easily.

"I want you to kiss me," Gaston announced to Faye, giving her a sideways glance, "That way, you'll be used to... intimacy better. If you're going to be my wife, you can't be passing out on me every time I kiss you." Faye's eyes widened at his effortless announcement, & Gaston held in a groan as she grew stiff beside him, finally showing signs of wanting to create space between them. But she didn't pull away, even now.

Faye watched Gaston hard for a few more moments before she finally decided to do as he wanted, leaning up & kissing his cheek, amusing the man to no end. She looked so pleased with herself, & she thought _that_ was comparable to a kiss. Still, Faye had done it on her own, & she wasn't swooning on him again. It was a good start, Gaston supposed, standing up abruptly. He was still warring in his own mind whether to give her another kiss, a proper one, & that cute, embarrassed expression was going to get him into more trouble than it was worth.

"Well then," Gaston sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Go grab your suitcase & freshen up, I'll take you back into town for your dress."

**..._..._...**

Gaston decided that Faye was out of her mind by the time she had decided on her wedding gown. He _knew_ she wanted the main piece in the window from the way she stared, made a point to ask her if she wanted it, & what did she do? She picked a plain-Jane, boring dress that looked like it would flatten what little curves she had. In the end, the hunter quelled his confusion & annoyance & watched her as she looked through a small selection of gloves near the clerk. He didn't like the way she was shying from the prettier ones, almost refusing to touch the fine laced ones that she kept sweeping over.

"Faye, I can afford to spend more money than you think," Gaston muttered, jarring her from her nervous browsing. She looked embarrassed as she looked back at him for a moment & gave a small shrug, baffling him almost completely. What kind of reaction was that? Growling under his breath, Gaston leaned over Faye & grabbed the lace gloves, tossing them onto the counter for her. She gasped in protest & clutched another pair of gloves, ones much simpler, in her hands, her cheeks burning now.

"I was going to select these," the woman insisted quietly, "You can put those back, Gaston. Really." Wondering why she was being so difficult, Gaston gently pried the other pair & tossed them onto the counter as well.

"We'll buy all of those items," Gaston told the old man behind the counter, who nodded & added up the total before carefully folding everything in their own, separate boxes. Faye looked like she wanted to interject, but kept quiet, glaring outside a nearby window as she crossed her arms over her chest. It took all of Gaston's self-control not to laugh at her childish tantrum & paid for her things, holding them under his arm.

**..._..._...**

"Why did you change your mind?" Faye asked again Gaston when they returned home. LeFou had already run off then, going to fetch food for the evening meal. Gaston led Faye upstairs & to their room, pulling her simple wedding gown from its box, hanging it in the closet . He didn't answer her for a few minutes, wondering why he was doing this for her, but when she continued to watch him from the doorway, he supposed she wasn't going to move on from this lightly. What was he supposed to do, admit that he, the great & powerful Gaston was at the beck & call of a bratty woman like her?

"Why didn't you pick the fancy gown back at the shop?" Gaston countered, "I saw you staring at it, & I did tell you I could afford it." It was Faye's turn to try & evade an uncomfortable conversation. Gaston sighed & dropped himself to sit on the bed, looking into the smaller box holding her gloves & opening it. The pretty laced gloves looked like they would look nice on Faye, especially on her wedding day. Yet, she had vehemently insisted that she wanted the plain ones.

"How about you answer my question, & then I'll answer yours," Gaston offered to the young woman nonchalantly; she looked even more comfortable, knowing she was being cornered. Gaston held back a smirk as he saw her straightening against the door frame, growing more frustrated by the second. However, rather than cursing Gaston lower than a dog, Faye marched right up to the man & watched him intently for a moment before she made an announcement. Was she going to finally answer him?

"You will fall in love with me," Faye told the man before her in a matter-of-fact tone. Gaston couldn't help himself; as soon as Faye finished her fervent declaration, his booming laughter filled their bedroom; where had that come from, & where did she get off ordering a man to love her? Faye's entire face turned a deep shade of angry red as she clutched her light dress in her hands until it wrinkled from the intensity of her grip.

"What's so funny?" she hissed with a sharp tone. Gaston stopped laughing for a few moments to catch his breath & take in Faye's frustration for a bit. She still looked at serious & straight-forward as before. Did she think that falling in love was just a business deal that she could flip the switch on at any time? Faye's naiveté amused Gaston to no end; it took all of his willpower not to collapse into laughter all over again at the sight of the apparently disgruntled look on her scrunched-up face.

"I don't have a choice, Faye?" Gaston asked, still watching the young woman with amusement as he tossed the glove box onto the bed.

"No!" Faye responded immediately, "Your wedding vows clearly state that you will love & cherish me, Gaston, & by God, you will love & cherish me!" Gaston continued to stare at the irate woman & gave her a lopsided grin. Slowly, he stood up from the bed & made his way over to her. Faye was quickly cornered against the wall, her hands balled up at her sides to keep themselves from beating on his chest.

"Perhaps I will love you one day," Gaston admitted to her a bit more seriously, "What about you, my bride? Does this mean that you'll uphold your end of our marriage contract & obey your husband?" Faye paled visibly & flinched at Gaston's question, looking away from him. He didn't really understand the significance, but he could tell she was deeply disturbed by what he had just said. He wanted to ask Faye why she was so crestfallen all of a sudden, but just then, LeFou bounded his way into the house with food for supper, announcing his arrival from downstairs. Faye quickly slipped under Gaston's arm & headed downstairs to meet up with LeFou; but he wasn't finished. Gently, the giant of a man grasped Faye's arm & kept her from running away from him just yet, discouraged as he watched her continue to avoid his gaze.

"Faye…"

"I very much dislike the word _obey_," Faye announced, her voice barely a whisper enough for Gaston to hear. He was so shocked by her sudden change in demeanor, he didn't even bother to try & stop her from pulling from him the second time. Faye rushed down to the kitchen to help LeFou cook, leaving Gaston puzzled by her completely. A few minutes later, however, he came downstairs, announced that he was going to the leaky Boot for a pint & job offers, & rushed out before either LeFou of Faye could interject.

**..._..._...**

"So all you want is twenty foxes?" Gaston drawled to his potential customer, a lanky, honestly-shifty looking man. The merchant nodded, watching Gaston drink down the last of his ale once more as he huddled near the hunter.

"I would like you to shoot them in the head, if possible," the merchant mumbled, twiddling his hands, "The pelt on a fox is used for expensive coats & the like, so any bullet holes or damage to the body can bring down its value." Gaston didn't bother to remind the man that he'd been hunting for years now; he knew the drill. But it felt nice just to get a normal job, he let the man slide.

After agreeing with the merchant to meet again in the afternoon the next day, Gaston dragged himself out of the pub & went home. It was already so late, his house was quiet when he arrived, save for the food that Faye had left out for him on the table. It was an odd experience for the man, having someone take care of him. He wondered to himself if Faye had waited up for him too, but didn't dwell on it long; he was just flattering himself with the thought of Faye curled up in a chair, just waiting for him to come home.

Sitting in front of his plate, Gaston stuffed his face in with supper in silence before heading upstairs to bed. As usual, LeFou had incompetently over-spiced a simple stew, but without the little man there to punish, Gaston finished eating & went upstairs to sleep. When he got up to his room, he discovered Faye passed out in the middle of the bed, cuddling against one his pillows; there she was again, doing something adorable.

If the world wasn't spinning as badly as it was, Gaston wryly thought to himself that he'd make Faye his wife that very night. With a grunt, he pulled his boots off at the edge of the bed & his shirt as well. His pants came off afterward, left completely nude as he climbed into bed with Faye, dragging her body against his after he stole his pillow back. He was uncomfortable as he came to terms with the fact that he would be sharing a bed with her from now on, having to trust that she wouldn't kill him in his sleep.

A soft, pitiful groan escaped Faye's mouth as Gaston brooded to himself, dragging him from his thoughts to pay more attention as she squirmed in his arms to get more comfortable. That same clenching in his stomach as before came over Gaston as Faye cuddled her body into his & relaxed into his warmth. He felt content with her like this, & terrified as well. Faye could really get to him.

"You'll be the death of me," Gaston grunted, leaning in & kissing Faye's forehead. Carefully pulling the blankets up to his chin, Gaston laid contently with Faye, trying to get himself some sleep somehow, he needed to have energy if he was to survive his own wedding tomorrow.


	7. Wedding Jitters

_**Disclaimer:**_

_**Comments, private messages, & advice is always appreciated. I love to hear other opinions, but please, keep the bs to a minimum. This story will be getting more mature in the future, with dom/sub themes. So be warned, & 18+ please.**_

_Author's Note:_

_Shout out to MyahLyah, Scaria1, & TrudiRose. Thanks for the support, guys. Having loyal readers makes writing so much more fun!~_

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 6:<strong>_

Dreams of the beast plagued Gaston that night. Every time he got comfortable, every time he felt it was safe to simply relax in bed & fall asleep, Faye would mumble in her sleep, or move enough to rouse him & make him think that someone had come into the room. This was why he didn't want to share a bed with a woman, other than the fact that sleeping allowed weakness around another person, of course.

No more than an hour after Gaston finally fell asleep, a panicked, piercing scream roused Gaston, just around dawn. Immediately, the disoriented man grabbed his hunting knife from under his pillow & he stumbled to his feet, trying to find the danger. But where was the danger? A vase was flung at Gaston's face & he narrowly dodged it, hearing it crash against a bedroom wall instead; what the hell was Faye doing attacking him? He didn't have time to ask before another vase flew toward him & he barely avoided that one as well, gritting his teeth in annoyance.

"Get out of my room, you naked, lecherous, horrible rake!" Faye suddenly shrieked, gaining Gaston's undivided attention. Finally, he understood why she was panicking, & then he laughed. His laughter drained much of Faye's rage & she stopped in the midst of throwing a small wooden carving to give Gaston a good, angry stare. She then grabbed the coverlet off of "her" bed & wrapped it around herself in a show of modesty, even though she & Gaston had spent all night cuddled together. Just what did that man find so funny about being called a pervert?

But suddenly, all too quickly for Faye's liking, Gaston's entire stance changed from amusement to a quiet seriousness. He was now looking at her as he slowly walked around the large bed to get to Faye. & he was still completely naked. Faye averted her gaze to the far side of the room as Gaston's height loomed over her, too embarrassed & nervous to look into Gaston's eyes. Didn't the man know what pants were?t

Still ready for some kind of physical response for her attack, the young woman jumped when Gaston reached behind her to put his hunting knife on the bedside table. Free of the knif, his large hands pulled Faye close & gently hooked under her chin, nudged her gaze upward. The look of fear on Faye's face ebbed away most of Gaston's anger & he sighed, leaning down to gently kiss her forehead. Why did she have to look so afraid of him all the damn time?

"Faye, this isn't your room," Gaston explained more patiently, "It's ours."

Faye immediately shoved from Gaston then so that he could see her exasperation. & damn, she looked absolutely appalled to be sharing a room with him. Gaston would have laughed again if he couldn't tell how terrified she was; the girl knew how to make him feel lower than a snake, didn't she?

"That isn't a funny joke, Mr. Gaston," Faye announced in the most regal of tones, "It's shameful for a man & woman to share a bedroom. They should only be in the same bed if... if they are trying to make an heir..." Her face turned completely red at that statement, as though it were a sin to mention sex. Gaston couldn't help but roll his eyes heavenward & pray for the strength not to throttle Faye. Where the hell did this woman get her ideas about marriage & relationships, the damned royal family?

Rather than fight Faye so early in the morning, however, Gaston turned Faye & went to the closet to dress into his best suit. By the time he finished, Faye had scurried off somewhere, her wedding dress no longer hanging in their closet. At least she wasn't still trying to tell him what the hell was "proper" in a marriage. She did a lot of preaching for a woman with no experience on the topic.

**..._..._...**

By the time he finished dressing, Gaston felt much calmer... or, at least, he didn't feel like yelling at Faye anymore. Making his demeanor as nonchalant as possible, his made his way downstairs to find his bride. This attempt to be calm remained firm, but he still couldn't help but be overwhelmed when he saw Faye waiting in the front entrance for him. Her wedding dress was in a protective cover, & beside her was a small train case that Gaston presumed held whatever she needed for the ceremony. She was currently wearing the last dress in her suitcase, a beautiful, deep emerald dress that wonderfully contrasted against her freckles & hair. Why did the woman have to be so damn beautiful?

"Are you ready to go, Mr. Gaston?" Faye suddenly asked. A light blush graced the freckles on her cheeks & Gaston bit back a smile, despite his previous agreement with himself to remain calm. He hadn't realized that he was watching her until she spoke to him, & hoped that she hadn't notice. With a nod of his head, Gaston walked to Faye, took her dress from her hands carefully, & then proceeded to take her to the town church. LeFou greeted the couple in the market & trailed behind, still trying to process what had changed yesterday.

Curiously looking at the vendors as they passed, Faye walked at Gaston's side with her train case held firmly with both hands. He could hear the soft thumps of her knees bumping against the case as she looked around, marveling at the shops & people in his home town. It wasn't until Gaston reached around his bride's shoulder that she even acknowledged his existence.

"Mr. Gaston, this is highly inappropriate," Faye whispered in embarrassment, "Please, unhand me." The rumble of a chuckle came from Gaston's throat at Faye's request & his arm hauled her closer until he could feel her squished to his side & felt her stumble a bit as she started to walk on her toes to keep footing on the ground. Finally, he let her walk normally but kept his arm about her as they strolled to the town church. It was entirely too amusing that Faye was struggling not to snap at him in public when he had no qualms about acting how he wanted to.

"I will show my bride affection wherever I please," Gaston announced softly, "Look at it this way; no one will put their hands on you again like yesterday, not if they know you're mine." There was no reply to this statement. Gaston turned his gaze to the woman & saw her expression screwed into a mixture of confusion & contemplation, like she didn't know how to respond to him. Good, maybe she would stay quiet for a while.

**…_..._...**

Gaston wasn't shocked to see his mother and three sisters already at the church when he arrived. He considered beating LeFou into a bloody pulp for telling his bothersome family members that he was marrying, but in the end, it couldn't be helped. His mother had been hounding after Gaston to find the next potential mate ever since Belle had run off with a damn beast & left him without a bride. Yes, the woman was disgruntled that Gaston was without a wife & children, & became more demanding for grandchildren by the day. Her obsession with his future family was tiring, & dealing with that in top of the unending nightmares of Beast shoving him from his castle didn't exactly put Gaston in the marrying mood.

All of Madame Foret's insisting seemed to have faded when she finally laid eyes on Faye, seeing the girl for herself. Quickly, the woman & Gaston's sisters took Faye's dress from the man & they rushed her into an empty room to dress her. Gaston stayed in the main chapel with nothing else to do & waited for them to come back out. He sat in the front pew & found himself soul-searching a bit, despite his desire to never do that in a place like this one. Did he really deserve a bride like Faye? What if she realized that he was just a pitiful man trying to escape the nightmares of his past?

The sudden humbleness hit the hunter hard, but Gaston didn't let himself despair for too long. Of course he deserved Faye, he was the greatest thing she could have asked for in a husband. She had to know that, or she wouldn't be marrying him. When the thought that Faye was probably willing to marry any man that could protect her arose, he shoved that down as well. There was no emotional attachment in this marriage, he reminded himself; there didn't have to be. But he'd be damned before he allowed her to have a lover with him around.

**..._..._...**

"I don't know how you did it, Jean, but you've found yourself a fine bride."

Gaston tensed up a bit angrily at the sound of his mother's voice. He despised his first name, the borrowed identity of his birth father; it was like the woman didn't remember that they'd both been abandoned by that bastard, & it was a wonder that her second husband was willing to take her after the scandal of her first marriage. Though, it wasn't a complete shock that she'd snagged another man. Even as she was starting to age, Marianne Foret's black hair was still silky, & her brown eyes still sparkled as though she were a young maiden. When Gaston was younger, she was even more beautiful, any man would have killed to make her their own.

"You know, Faye is a tiny thing, but I've seen younger & smaller give birth to healthy babes," Madame Foret announced, dragging the man from his brooding, "You make sure to give me many grandchildren now. I won't be happy until I have ten, no, fifteen babies to spoil rotten!" Gaston couldn't help but smile at his mother's words & watched her as she came to his side & took a seat in the pew beside him. In her own odd way, he knew that she loved him, & she would love Faye as well. This was her way of wishing them luck in the future.

With Gaston relaxed, Marianne escorted him to the altar where the preacher waited. Gaston spent a quiet moment telling the man his age & other important information, feeling a bit out of place when he announced that Faye would be filling out her own information; he'd almost forgotten that he barely even knew her full name, yet here they were, marrying. Gaston shoved down the nagging guilt building up in his throat & went to wait at the main altar, wondering when his bride would be coming out.

As he waited, LeFou made his way to an empty pew as a few villagers wandered in for the ceremony, either curious or fancying themselves close enough to the Foret's to be there. Gaston's mother slipped her wedding bands into her son's hand as he continued to wait on Faye, & gave her a questioning look. Marianne rolled her eyes gave him a light tap on the head with her fan, as though he shouldn't be confused at all.

"After my beloved Henri passed, they laid waiting your you & your future bride in my jewelry box," the woman announced to her son as he rubbed his head, "Do your mama proud, my boy."

**..._..._...**

Faye felt ready to run away as she was dressed by Gaston's sisters. It hadn't fully dawned onto her that she was getting married until she stood at the mercy of three babbling girls as they fussed over her until her dress was adjusted into a more fashionable fit, enough make-up was caked onto her face to hide most of her freckles, & her frizzed mess of a mane was brushed & tamed into a loose bun.

_Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue._

The girls walked around the bride & addressed her new dress, old white shoes Faye had brought from home, & the blue mountain flower that had been weaved into her hair; apparently, Gaston had whatever was "borrowed," & Faye left it at that, not wanting to pry. Her simple, but feminine white dress fluttered about her now that it had been tucked & pinned. For a few moments, Faye indulged herself by looking into a looking glass, shocked at her own transformation; she hardly recognized herself, & that truthfully made her happy.

As Gaston's sisters opened the door to the main room, Faye felt her knees weaken & saw Gaston at the end of the alter, watching her as she entered, waiting expectantly. Good lord, she was really doing this.

On his end, Gaston wasn't doing much better than his nervous bride. She looked beautiful in her wedding gown, much more beautiful than he expected a bony thing like her to be, honestly; but there she was, looking the epitome of graceful & innocent as she approached, making Gaston begin to grow more nervous with every passing moment. The groom had two strong urges as the church piano began to play & summoned the bride down the aisle; one was to grab Faye, the rush the ceremony, & then finally drag her to bed. The other was to run away entirely. He knew that he needed to marry a woman & have children to carry on his family name, but how did he know that marrying Faye wasn't a complete mistake? When she wasn't pushing his sanity to the limit, she was just… too perfect. It was to the point that he was starting to develop a complex.

But, unable to help himself, Gaston felt tension easing away with every step Faye took toward him. Right, she was walking to him, he just had to stand here & wait for her to come to him. He also couldn't help but notice the glint of worry in his bride's eyes, & instantly, he wanted to be the one to comfort her. A slow smile covered his face & he noticed Faye relax just a bit when his hands reached out & he grasped hers, giving them a small squeeze. She was comforted by his presence, & likewise, he felt the same way, giving her hands another gentle squeeze.

From the pews, Madame Foret watched with her daughters as Gaston & his bride got the ceremony underway, & it took just a few moments for her to see that Faye was a hopeless romantic; the happy, tearful expression on her face when Gaston slipped his mother's old ring on her finger & recited his vows was too obvious to miss. The girl was giddy & excited as she recited her own vows, looking her groom directly in the eyes; Mariella was starting to believe that she might grow to really like Faye.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Faye whole-heartedly leaned closer to Gaston & rose up to her toes, her eyes closed & her cheeks reddened in her earnest attempt at their first kiss as a married couple. Mariella tried her best not to laugh & hid behind her fan as she watched Gaston become totally unglued by his bride's open gesture, unprepared for her behavior. His face was almost completely devoid of any emotion, carefully so, as he reached forward & grabbed Faye by the shoulders to keep her steady, moved his lips down to hers, & gently kissed her as the preacher announced that Jean Gaston Foret & Faye Arene Foret were now man & wife. There was clapping from the church-goers as the two parted, & Gaston allowed himself to enjoy the moment.

_Faye Arene Foret_; Gaston liked the sound of that.


	8. Immaturity Contest

_**Disclaimer:**_

_**Comments, private messages, & advice is always appreciated. I love to hear other opinions, but please, keep the bs to a minimum. This story will be getting more mature in the future, with dom/sub themes. So be warned, & 18+ please.**_

_Author's Note:_

_PSA, I've gotten the links to das_sporkers a couple of you have sent me. While I appreciate your concern & outrage on my behalf, please don't flame the reviewer or expect me to. Why? Because someone found a 2-3 year old story, read the ENTIRE thing, & just bitched about every sentence I put down. If Gaston so much as sneezes aggressively, he's an abusive prick. & I'm not saying he isn't a snot, but their lack of realism towards Gaston is disappointing; look at Beast, he had years to stew over being a jerk & he still tried to crush in Belle's skull a few times (sorry, I forgot that was romantic~) before he even begins to let her in._

_My point is, someone with that kind of tenacity isn't going to care that they've hurting anyone's feelings, nor is their opinion likely to change when you come at them wielding your "hammer of internet justice." It's just not worth the time & effort to spend more than a couple of minutes getting pissed & then moving on. My best friend & I actually sat down with cookies & had a giggle through the whole 8-10 entry review. What am I gonna do, cry in a corner & slit my wrists? Nah, no thanks._

_I prefer to celebrate my fans instead, & while I'm on that, thank you so much, guys, for supporting me. Not everyone is going to agree with me all the time, so it makes me happy that there are people who enjoy my writing._

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 7:<strong>_

Gaston enjoyed his & Faye's trek home from the church. As his small village's custom, the groom & bride interlinked hands & traveled together as the church bells sounded through town. Both his family & onlookers clapped & threw flowers to their feet as they made the short walk home, a small but enjoyable custom Faye seemed to be too fascinated by to walk very properly. His worries from earlier were pushed away by the intense satisfaction he received by almost literally waving his new bride in front of all the other young men in town; she was his prize, damn right he was going to show her off. He also noticed that quite a few of his previous flings didn't look very happy, probably realizing that with a wife, Gaston wouldn't have much time to indulge in casual sex anymore.

Finally the bride & groom arrived in front of their home, & before warning Faye, Gaston lifted the woman from her feet & carried her through the threshold, LeFou quickly scrambling to open the front door for them. Faye stared up at her groom as he shut the front door with his foot & set her to the floor, taking in what looked like a genuine smile from him; was it the pride, or his actual feelings for her shining through right now? His hands moved to slide to her shoulders as he stared back at her, his large fingers surprisingly gentle as he rubbed the back of his hand down her cheek.

"W-we should eat," Faye suggested quietly, suddenly shying from his touch, "I'm a bit hungry from skipping breakfast, what about you?"

The noise & excitement slowly died down outside as Gaston loosened the cravat from his neck, locked the front door, & followed Faye into the kitchen. He watched her trying to stall & avoid the consummation of their wedding, understanding a bit why she would be nervous; she was completely inexperienced. Thankfully, LeFou had already thought of breakfast, leaving a loaf of bread & jam on the table for the two of them to find. Faye walked back & forth through the kitchen as Gaston's gaze followed her, barely hiding the fact that her every route avoided her groom.

"Faye," Gaston called softly. As expected, his bride tried to ignore him & began to eat her own bread after setting his on a plate. Her hands were shaking a bit as she leaned against the table & ate, & Gaston had to hold in a groan. Damn it all, there she went again, making him feel like an ogre. All he wanted was to bed his bride, it wasn't that much of a selfish want, was it?

Slowly, Gaston moved forward again, trapping Faye between him & the table. Faye shut her eyes & kept her back to him as he gently took the bread from her hands & wrapped an arm around her body, easily able to pull her lanky frame into his own. The feel of her warmth so close to him, & her gentle scent was starting to drive him mad; he was going to lose his control if he didn't watch himself, & Faye was already jittery. Gaston hugged Faye closer to himself when she finally turned to face him & relax, resting his chin on her head; he didn't push her to go upstairs yet, or even mention that every husband & wife made love, sometimes pretty regularly.

"Faye," Gaston called her name again gently, & this time, Gaston's bride did what was expected of her. Faye leaned back & looked her groom in the eyes as her hands clumsily clung to the front of his dress coat. Her entire face red as she stared Gaston down, as were her ears & the part of her neck that was visible.

"You're going to insist that I share your bed tonight, aren't you?" Faye asked softly with a pout. Gaston's smile softened just a bit & he wrapped his arms tighter around her, his hand lazily rubbing circles into her back. As much as the hunter considered letting Faye a few weeks to prepare her heart, if she was really in the danger she suggested, they needed to make their union completely official. & it didn't help that he wanted her right now. Badly.

"Oh no, Faye," Gaston replied, "I want you in bed now." Faye immediately stiffened at the suggestion & began to push from Gaston with her gaze turned hellion. He'd expected such a reaction & already had his grip firm, even when the girl went as far as to slam a hand down on his shoulder; no, Faye wouldn't escape him just yet.

"This is highly inappropriate, husband," Faye insisted angrily, "Even children know that the marriage bed is only shared in the evenings." Gaston rolled his eyes & tried not to sigh in exasperation & wonder where she got these ideas. Faye & her damned marriage rules. Again.

"Faye, how the hell would you know anything about what's proper in a marriage?" Gaston growled impatiently, "You've been wedded only as long as me, & that's not even a full hour. Besides, what good is finding a husband who can protect you if anyone can annul our union? " Faye looked indignantly at Gaston at his insistence, seeming to be appalled that he didn't already know the answer to that.

"My mother taught me everything I needed to know, Jean."

"Don't call me that."

"Why not? It's your birth name."

"Well, I go by something different now."

Faye's eyes narrowed as she watched Gaston, her arms crossed across her chest. Gaston had to force himself not laugh at the temper tantrum, or stare at her bust as her arms pushed it upward; everything she did was provocative for him right now, & she didn't want him to even touch her. How was he supposed to get along with the woman if she didn't let up at all?

"I still don't understand why I can't call you Jean," Faye announced; her lips had formed into a pout as she stared up at Gaston. He didn't know whether to yell at the the damned woman or kiss her. It was probably safer just to kiss her… maybe.

Descending on his bride, Gaston moved his hands to Faye's cheeks & slanted his mouth over hers in a deep kiss. Faye's eyes widened at the new level of intensity, sufficiently quieted as he he wrapped one of his arms around her waist to keep her from falling back, quickly learning how to return the favor by responding to his passion. Gaston couldn't suppress the groan of satisfaction as he tasted Faye's mouth against his, just trying to make her as excited about sharing a bed as he was. He could offer her more kisses if she cooperated, & much more.

Faye was as sweet as the strawberry jam she'd eaten, & not a trace of liquor marred that sweetness, which was new for Gaston. She was much more affectionate than the bar wenches he was accustomed to; more innocent too, & more willing to follow his lead. But when Gaston began to unbutton Faye's dress, the young woman tensed & pushed him away away before the third button was even loose in its clasp. The hunter conceded to his bride & leaned back just, watching his bride recover from their kiss as he did the same. The sight of her rosy lips & flushed cheeks made him want to kiss her all over again, but he had to hold himself back.

"You may call me Jean in private," Gaston whispered softly into Faye's ear. The young woman nodded & she leaned back a bit more to look upon Gaston after she recollected herself some. She just couldn't understand why Gaston was suddenly okay with her calling him by his birth name, but he said & did so many things that she didn't understand. Leaning forward, Faye allowed herself to sink into Gaston's arms again, sighing as he wrapped his arms about her waist & back. Gaston did his best to hold back when the buttons of her dress ruffled under his fingers, but he did his best to hold himself back & not completely scare Faye away.

**…_..._...**

He left her alone on their wedding night. After Faye put her foot down & stated that she wouldn't share a bed with Gaston during the day, the frustrated man went upstairs, changed into his usual garb of a tunic & pants, & stormed out of their home angrily. Faye was quickly worried when her groom didn't return within the hour, & paced through the house for quite a many hours; she changed out of her wedding gown as soon as she could, did some more pacing, & still Gaston hadn't arrived home. It wasn't until LeFou showed up around dusk that she was told that Gaston had gone hunting; she'd spent all day trying to prepare herself for sharing a bed with her husband, & he went hunting? The damned man went hunting on their wedding day!

Enraged, Faye stormed upstairs & went into her room. She almost slammed her bedroom door, but didn't, knowing it would be "unladylike" to do such a barbaric thing. No, slamming doors was something Gaston would do. Once inside, Faye went to her suitcase & dug into it, grabbing her coin purse. There was just enough inside to get her some ale. If Gaston could be irresponsible on their wedding night, then she would show him up & be three times the child he was being.

"Please stay home," LeFou pleaded as Faye came downstairs, "Gaston really isn't gonna like this!". Faye ignored LeFou's blubbering & wrapped herself in a shawl to block out the evening chill before heading out to _The Leaky Boot_. Instead of chasing her this time, LeFou resigned himself to waiting out the tantrum & went back into the house. Faye should be safe after Gaston scared the customers straight, but really, it almost seemed like she had some kind of death wish.

* * *

><p><span><em>Author's Note:<em>

_I also wanted to point out that I lived in South Louisiana at the time I originally wrote this fic, so much of the customs & so on are Cajun French, maybe not so much European French. It's not the same thing, but I like the customs of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Thibodaux, etc. & decided to incorporate that rather than do extensive research over some stuff most people don't even care about. Plz, crusade me for being a lazy teenager._


	9. Rust & Freckles

_**Disclaimer:**_

_**Comments, private messages, & advice is always appreciated. I love to hear other opinions, but please, keep the bs to a minimum. This story will be getting more mature in the future, with dom/sub themes. So be warned, & 18+ please.**_

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 8:<strong>_

After his disagreement with Faye, Gaston decided that he was only going to keep fighting with her & decided to let them both take a break, via doing his job. That way he could get some of his aggression out on his prey, & she could prepare herself to accept him properly.

He arrived home late in the evening with no one in sight. At first, he wasn't bothered that he didn't see Faye waiting up for him; he'd just have to gently lecture her on his expectations of her in the morning. The telltale sign that Faye was angry was that she hadn't bothered to leave him any food out on the table, but yet again, he was willing to let it go because Faye had all day to ready herself, & now he was ready to finally consummate their marriage that she insisted on.

Gaston mentally prepared himself for his arguing with his bride & then proceeded to head upstairs, loosening the heavy hunting coat that hung from his physique. He wasn't very surprised that Faye wasn't in their bed, remembering the argument from that morning & decided she must have gone to hide in the guest room. Gaston changed out of his sweaty clothes & quickly washed himself at the basin before he was ready to go fetch Faye & bring her back to their room. Then, the hunter began to become concerned. His bride wasn't in the guest room, locked in the salon, nor hidden anywhere else in the entire house. She just wasn't in the house at all; & upon inspection, neither was a money satchel.

Frustration set in & Gaston grit his teeth, sitting on the edge of the dining table as he tried to figure the places Faye could hide in town. There were only a few inns nearby, but she'd left her luggage in the bedroom, so it was unlikely that she'd run off. There was also the bar... dear God, _The Leaky Boot_. A low, dangerous growl rumbled from Gaston's throat & he straightened his body as he made for the front door. The poor chunk of wood that closed the front of his house wouldn't last a week with the way people had been slamming it the past few days. It squealed pitifully in protest when Gaston slammed it, as if begging for mercy. But Gaston gave no mercy & it closed with a loud thump before he strode over to _The Leaky Boot_ to fetch his bride.

**..._..._...**

Gaston wasn't prepared for the sight he was greeted with when he stepped into the Leaky Boot. Faye was at the bar, alright, & had a swarm of the finest hunters & traveling thieves about her. & they were all coddling her like a child. Gaston didn't fully understand the situation until he got closer & saw the tears; she was practically sobbing into the bar.

Rogue, a hunter who wasn't really known for being the kind sort, seemed to be the most worried about Faye. He had the most uncomfortable look on his face as he rubbed Faye's back & pulled out a kerchief for her, offering it. Another usually-abrasive man Gaston knew, "One-Eyed" Cyril slapped the pitiful cloth out of his hand & griped at Rogue for offering a filthy handkerchief to a lady, & ushered one of the gentlemen of town forward. He produced a clean kerchief & handed to Faye, who took it gratefully & daintily blew her nose into it. Gaston rolled his eyes at the theatrics & slowly advanced on the group.

Cyril was the first to notice Gaston & cut through everyone to prevent a fight. Most of the men noticed his actions & began to clear out, to where it was just Rogue comforting the sobbing Faye. Gaston tried to side-step Scotty at first, but the older man was rather burly & strong himself, as if aging had no effect on him. Gaston stopped trying to reach his wife when he realized that he couldn't quite bring himself to hit Scotty; he respected elders & the man himself just a bit too much.

"Look now, m' boy," Cyril commanded gruffly, "Ya only got yerself to blame for this one. The lady was doing just fine tonight until that knucklehead Rogue asked how you were doin'. Now she won't stop blubberin'." Gaston narrowed his eyes in Faye's direction once more & Cyril patted Gaston's shoulder in a comforting gesture. He was trying to give his bride some space, but Gaston couldn't be withheld anymore when she let out a pitiful wail. He finally pushed past Cyril then, making his way to the bar.

"H-he doesn't even wan' me, Monsieur Benoit," Gaston heard the girl sobbing as he stood behind her. Rogue awkwardly tried to convince her otherwise, but Faye wouldn't have it, dabbing her eyes again before downing a surprising amount of ale.

"He doesn'," Faye insisted, her voice slurring, "It's not just that he ran away on our weddin' night; he's always rude, he can' stand to be near me, & never once told me that I'm pretty; he could at least lie & tell me if he's gonna to gawk at me several times a day. Even that horrid Loooord Whitley would tell me I was pretty." Rogue frowned lightly & began to pat her back instead of rubbing it. Gaston felt himself growing more impatient, wondering who the hell this Whitley was.

"What d'ya mean, Madame Faye?" Rogue asked, "You're plenty pretty; any man would be lucky to have you as his woman." Faye's face screwed into a look of annoyance & she shook her head vehemently, contradicting the man once more.

"No I'm not," she insisted, "Mama always tol' me... she tol' me that I would never be as appealing to men to my sisters cuz' I'm a rusty." Both Rogue & Gaston looked at each other in confusion & Gaston opted to sit in the stool beside Faye as she allowed her head to lightly thump on the bar. He could tell then that she was too drunk to even notice him beside her as Rogue insisted that Faye explain what a blasted "rusty" was. Faye looked completely ashamed of herself as she rubbed her face with the kerchief again, rubbing her flushed, tired face with her hands.

"I'm calle' a rusty cuz' of m' hair & freckles," Faye mumbled softly, " The total opposite of what men want, y' know. They wan' ladies with silken hair, beautiful skin, & birthin' hips. Th' only man who asked for my hand was Lord Whitley, & right aft' Victora disappeared, too..." Rogue's face contorted into an expression of pity & confused while Gaston kept quiet in his chair. The sympathetic man was still patting Faye's back; rather hard now that Gaston paid attention. He narrowed his eyes, but Rogue was too busy offering comfort to notice.

Faye had just confirmed Gaston's belief that she was from some aristocratic family, or at least somewhere with money; only damned blue bloods would ostracize a beautiful woman because she wasn't . He on the other hand, had no such reservations. & she was going to learn that he thought she was VERY beautiful even if she wasn't an ideal, whether she liked it or not. As a side note to himself, Gaston made the promise to himself that he would lay in a good, solid punch on Faye's father, even if it was for is own satisfaction. But right now, he needed to focus on getting Faye home. She would be in here wailing all night if he let her.

"Rogue, if you don't stop beating bruises into my wife's back, I swear I'll-" Gaston didn't have to finish his sentence, for Rogue was rushing over to his own table already, "If anyone's going to comfort my wife, it's going to be me."

Faye looked up at Gaston with the most pitiful expression on her face, & Gaston couldn't help but melt a bit at the sight. He carefully scooped her from her stool & let her cuddle against him as he headed for the front door. Everyone seemed to be watching intently, she'd made him the laughing stock of his favorite bar. The urge to tan Faye's backside & discipline her like a child crossed Gaston's mind until he hear another sniffle escape her lips. He sighed at her pitiful behavior & squeezed Faye tighter against him in an effort to comfort her as Cyril opened the front door & he stepped out into the night.

**..._..._...**

Le Fou was standing at the door step when Gaston returned home, covered nearly head to toe in mud & blubbering; the frantic look in his eyes & the obvious loss in his breath was a telltale sign that he'd been searching for Gaston, probably in the woods. Gaston didn't know whether to be proud of the young man's loyalty, or concerned that he went into such a panic. Le Fou had taken to his wife immediately, Gaston knew that much, & he'd snap Le Fou's neck if he thought that he'd take Faye's attention from him.

"Go home," Gaston commanded Le Fou as he propped Faye on one arm & opened the front door. It creaked pitifully from recent abuse & swung open wide as Le Fou nodded, hurrying off down the street to go to his own home. Gaston rolled his eyes at the clumsy man running off before stepping inside & closing his front door, locking it tight. No one was coming in the house tomorrow until _he_ allowed it.

Faye had already passed out against him by the time he kicked off his boots & curled against him, an action that rather pleased him. With both of his arms free, Gaston cradled her in his arms once more & headed upstairs to their bedroom. Once inside, he gently deposited Faye into bed & tried to decide what he should do next; he couldn't very well enough leave her in her clothes, & they were married... now would come the task of getting her dressed for bed, Gaston supposed.

With a sigh of frustration, Gaston moved over his bride & pulled off her shoes & stockings, throwing the garments onto the floor. It was a more painstaking process to move Faye to her stomach to unclasp her dress, the girl having a real problem with not being flat on her back. She wiggled insistently against him, but eventually he won out, the faintest of mumbles escaped Faye's lips when he pulled off the dress. Gaston almost burst into laughter at the sight of Faye curling up on the bed as she laid in just a silken chemise, corset, & her pantaloons before he went to grab a nightgown then set about the task of getting it on her.

The hunter grit his teeth in pure effort not become too aroused while wrestling his bride again, feeling her warm, spongy flesh under his fingers & pulled her gown over her head, just enough to cover her upper body. It was another full task to undo her corset once she was covered, but it slid off easily after he loosened the ties, also wondering to himself why such a thin woman would even bother with a corset.

Gaston threw the offending clothing with the rest of Faye's clothes once she was pulled free of it, somehow managing to drag her limp arms through the sleeves of her gown & then pull her pantaloons off as well. It proved to be a more difficult task than removing the corset, he almost pulled off her bloomers with the pantaloons, & that itself made him think of just stripping Faye completely bare & forcing her to perform the task that only his wife could. Somehow, he held back his need, pulling Faye to the center of the bed & pulling the blankets up to her ears. All of her wiggling & moving about stopped as she rested there, looking more peaceful than Gaston had ever seen anyone before. He had to wonder to himself as he rubbed his neck & stood up to get undressed so he could sleep... or at least try to.

The hunter wasn't stupid; Faye was almost completely naked under her nightgown, & he wasn't allowed to touch her. That meant he would have to suffer all through tonight. That was going to be pure hell for a man like him, he'd never been denied the touch of a woman in bed. Why didn't his bride willingly come to him like other women? Sure, she was a virgin & the others most definitely weren't, but she had to know that a man like him was greatly desired for a reason.

"Good night, Faye," Gaston grunted dryly as he pushed Faye to her side of the bed & climbed in. She was still unconscious when she scooted closer to him in her sleep, tonight of all nights, & cuddled into his warmth under the blankets. His only reprieve was that Faye was all curled up into the fetal position again, minimizing the contact he had against her, at least in the lower regions.

Tonight was going to be rough on him, however. Really rough.


	10. Hangover

_**Disclaimer:**_

_**Comments, private messages, & advice is always appreciated. I love to hear other opinions, but please, keep the bs to a minimum. This story will be getting more mature in the future, with dom/sub themes. So be warned, & 18+ please.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong><span>Chapter 9:<span>**_

Sleep actually came to Gaston that night. Maybe it was he was too preoccupied with being sandwiched against Faye to be worried about his bad memories. The frustration of being cuddled against a woman he couldn't lie with was one of the most agonizing moments of his life, & he'd washed up on a river bank mangled & beaten before. How the two of those things were comparable, he'd never understand, but the following morning, he was almost wishing to be thrown from the beast's castle again.

Gaston woke when he felt a sudden shift in the bed, grunting at his face was shoved into something soft & plush, almost suffocating him. Over the evening, Faye had apparently decided to shift in her sleep. She clung to him now, her breasts shoved into his face & her small arms wrapped around his neck. Gaston rolled his eyes & carefully unlatched his unconscious bride from him & instead tucked her against his chest. Faye still clung to him after he moved her, but at least he could breathe now; her breasts felt much bigger when they were shoved into his face like a smothering device; he imagined any woman's would.

Suddenly, Gaston felt amused by his absurd situation, his fingers gently sliding through the tangled mess of her hair. His bride acted more like a beast than a lady, he decided, kissing her forehead. She was pushy, opinionated, & apparently didn't keep still at all when she was asleep. His _Madame_ was much more spirited & uninhibited than he'd expected in a wife, & certainly more confusing. No, Gaston wasn't worried about growing tired of Faye. She was enough to keep _three_ men pulling out their hair for the next century.

As Gaston mused over the absurdity that was Faye, his bride was slowly waking up, & making the most awful sounds of pain. Gaston smiled when she pushed stubbornly on his chest, tucking her face under his chin to keep her eyes shielded from the morning light creeping into their room. There was a heavy chill in the air from quickly-approaching autumn outside, but it was more likely that Faye had a hangover. She was going to hate today quite a bit, it would be filled with aching, groaning, & possibly vomit. He dind't understand how a woman like her knocked back so much ale in one night, but she was going to learn the hard way it was a bad idea. Luckily for her, Gaston was feeling charitable today, & would share whatever he could to help her through it. He didn't want to admit it, but seeing the huge lack of ego she had yesterday had gotten to him; if she was going to be his woman, she was going to have to buck up & get a bit of pride in herself.

"Faye, stay in bed," Gaston ordered in what he thought was a gruff, commanding tone. To Faye, however, Gaston sounded incredibly tender & calming, especially with his warm hands rubbing down her back in another attempt to relax her. She responded to the gentleness, too focused on her pounding head & aching limbs to grouch at him for being in her bed again, or for his state of undress.

Faye resisted clinging to Gaston's warmth as he pulled away from her, wrapping the covers back around her body, cocooning her in warmth. With the slide of his hand, he closed the curtain over the bed & submerged the bedroom into darkness. Moments later, a match was lit across the room & the fireplace set aglow, drying the humidity in the air & warming up the room.

Faye stayed in bed, as she was ordered, & wondered to herself why Gaston was being so hospitable. She was so sure yesterday that he would be furious about her going drinking with his friends at _The Leaky Boot_, but he didn't seem to be at all Was it because she was his wife now? Did he feel the need to protect her because she was his responsibility? There was some rustling near the closet as she wondered what her husband was up to by being so kind, Gaston coming back into her view as he slipped on his favorite red hunting tunic.

"Why?" Faye asked softly in the gentle glow of the firelight. There was silence afterward, but Gaston had heard the question clearly as he buttoned up his shirt; he didn't want to admit why he was being helpful, that he was just concerned for her well-being; it would be a blow to his pride. He was dressed by the time he sat on the edge of the bed & let his hand settle on Faye's forehead, checking her temperature; she didn't feel awfully warm to the touch.

"The sooner you get better, the sooner I can bed you," Gaston muttered, almost nonchalantly. Damn; why did he have to say that? It was supposed to be a jab, but Faye looked like she was about to cry now. The young woman turned over & faced away from Gaston, burying her face into the covers in an obvious show of depression. He resisted the urge to laugh at her dramatic actions & sat down on the edge of the bed, gently combing a few curly tangles from the coppery waves of hair that spilled around her on the pillows. Her hair was softer than it looked, & it floated gracefully over his fingers, almost mesmerizing him.

"Faye, I can't tell you how much I want you," Gaston admitted in a gruff voice, "Redressing & sleeping next to you last night was one of the hardest feats in my life. I can't tell you how tempted I was to take advantage of the situation then & there, but I knew you would never forgive me." Faye stayed where she was, even though she had relaxed quite a bit; so he didn't find a rusty like her repulsive? Maybe her mother was right when she toldFaye would be more suited for a lower-class husband; men of her family's status were choosy because they could afford it. They could afford it so much that her two younger sisters were already married off before her parents could tackle the task of selling her off to a willing husband. It was still good to know that Gaston didn't find her ugly, he even had problems controlling his impulses around her.

"Faye?" Gaston called suddenly. Faye looked up at the man; his expression was as stern & commanding as usual.

"Give me your word… no, promise before me & your vows to God that you will obey me & never touch ale again," Gaston demanded, honestly a bit more harshly than he originally intended. But Faye understood the command all the same & nodded.

"I promise," Faye relented with a sigh, her cheeks turning into a nice shade of pink as Gaston lifted her chin to match gazes.

"You promise what?"

"Not to touch ale again."

"To whom, Bride?"

"Why are you calling me your bride still?"

"Faye…"

"To you & my vows to God... happy?"

Gaston nodded in satisfaction & gently released Faye's chin. Her brow was furrowed a bit as she relaxed back into her pillow, & he could tell she still had a fierce headache. But she did a pretty good at holding her composure.

"Why did you call me your bride?" Faye asked again suddenly. Gaston sighed & tried to remain patient with her as he stood up from the bed & made sure she was still snuggled in the blankets, getting a bit of distance between them in case she grew violent with him.

"I call you my bride because you are just that," the man said a bit impatiently, "You will be my bride until our marriage is consummated."

The adorable blush that stained Faye's cheeks & the widening in her eyes was too much for Gaston to resist; smiling, the hunter sat back down on the bed, leaning over his prey & allowed his lips to settle on hers. Even with the lingering taste of ale on her tongue, Faye was sweet. With his fingers tangling in her hair, Gaston deepened the hiss with his wife, almost surprised that she didn't try to push him away, but started to kiss him back just as eagerly; but this wasn't right, Faye wasn't in the condition do have sex with him.

Immediately, Gaston stopped rubbing his tongue over Faye's parting lips & pulled away from the bed, creating space between them again while he smoothed a hand through his hair. What the hell was he doing? Faye was invalid enough to be confined to bed, & here he was attacking her like some undisciplined boy. Usually, he had such control & restraint over himself, but around Faye, it was as if he didn't know what patience was.

Looking back at his breathless bride, Gaston rubbed his fingers over Faye's forehead. Faye stared at him quietly, squinting her eyes just a bit as she strained to fight sleep. Her expression was a bit unreadable now, & that frustrated him a bit. Moving his fingers to her hair, Gaston ruffled it lightly & let out a chuckle when she scowled up at him, giving him peace of mind. Gaston didn't wish to see blank expressions on his bride's face; no he wanted her to be transparent to him always.

"Take a nap, Faye," Gaston muttered, pulling the blankets to her chin again, "I'll have LeFou will bring you aspirin & food soon, I'm going out to hunt for a bit. Do you like rabbit meat?" Faye nodded & closed her eyes when Gaston kissed her forehead, her cheeks flamed red all over again. Without another word, her husband stepped out of the room & gently shut the door behind him. Faye was left alone in the room & curled up, looking over her shoulder a bit cautiously before she grabbed Gaston's pillow & hugged it against her. Within moments, the warmth of the bed & the masculine scent of Gaston on his pillow had lulled her into a state of calm.

With her last thoughts before sleep took over, Faye promised herself that she would later chastise her husband for helping himself to her room again. But for now, he could think he got away with it. After all, he was being so gentle to her right now, & she didn't want to make him angry & have them go back to fighting.

**..._..._...**

Gaston wasn't surprised to see LeFou on the front doorstep, just waiting for him to come out & get him. Some days he didn't know if he should pity the man or to commend him for such loyalty. But now wasn't the time to be dwelling on LeFou, Gaston had a task to complete. Grabbing his musket & coat beside the front door, the hunter stepped out into the cool air of morning, gesturing LeFou to go inside.

"Make sure Faye eats something & drinks water," Gaston ordered, "Don't touch her otherwise."

LeFou nodded, giving his boss a small wave as he walked down the front steps & then headed right towards the woods behind the cottage, a man on a mission. Gaston was going to make sure Faye had rabbit tonight.

* * *

><p><span><em>Author's Note:<em>

_Yeah, yeah. She only has a hangover. But back then, even the smallest illnesses could spiral into a world of Hell, so people were SUPER careful. Plus, it was an excuse to get Gaston to pamper his woman.~_

_& I feel kinda bad for Faye. She still thinks the room is all hers, & doesn't even consider that all of Gaston's clothes are in there. She'll figure it out soon enough.~_


	11. Faith & Trust

_**Disclaimer:**_

_**Comments, private messages, & advice is always appreciated. I love to hear other opinions, but please, keep the bs to a minimum. This story will be getting more mature in the future, with dom/sub themes. So be warned, & 18+ please.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong><span>Chapter 10:<span>**_

Mariella Foret decided to pay her son a visit that afternoon, much to his chagrin. He had barely walked up the front steps with two limp rabbits in his grip when she came bouncing down the drive, giving him an excited wave.

Everything had been going on just fine without the damned meddlesome woman coming in & trying to push anything between him & his wife; Gaston knew that Mariella meant well & that she wasn't a cruel person, but this obsession with squiring grandchildren was relentless. She was a couple years too late for that though, he wasn't in much of a mood for trying to have sons lately. He didn't even know if he & Faye were going to last through the end of that year.

"Jean, I would love to meet with your wife today," the woman announced as she clasped her hands in front of her body & tilted her head to the side, "Is she free at the moment?" Gaston frowned at his mother's optimistic grin & bouncy attitude, letting his rabbits hang by their legs on a meat hook, the front door opening with LeFou coming outside.

"Faye is sick right now, Mother," Gaston sighed, pulling off his coat & walking inside. Mariella gave him an unconcerned snort & walked into the cottage with him, already wandering to the salon & making herself at home. Of course she wasn't leaving, the woman had to inspect Faye more formally now, & there was no stopping that.

"I think I will wait for your wife to feel better, Jean," Mariella announced with a pushy grin, "I'm sure it can't be all that bad." He tried his best to ignore the woman as she giggled, going upstairs to check on his bride. As luck would have it, she was still asleep, letting Gaston clean himself of the sweat on his body & hopefully get his mother to leave, even though he knew better than that. Poor Faye would just have to be subjected to the woman's lust for grandchildren until he could get her to leave somehow.

**..._..._...**

Faye announced that she felt much better in the late afternoon when Gaston came up to shove a 4th glass of water down her throat. Gaston reluctantly agreed to let her get up & went downstairs as she dressed, barking at LeFou to make tea for her & his mother. When Faye came downstairs, Gaston noted that most of the color had returned to her face, but she still looked just a bit bothered by her headache. What annoyed Gaston was that she had makeup on again. With a growl, her dragged Faye to the sink, gently rubbing a wet cloth over her face & removing the annoying powder.

"Jean, I want to look presentable for your mother," Faye insisted as her husband dabbed the wash cloth & wiped her face once more.

"You don't need it, Faye," Gaston told her quietly, "This disgusting stuff is for ugly girls."

Faye was completely thrown off guard by her husband's statement, staring up at him as he tossed the rag away & finally relaxed somewhat. Was Gaston trying to compliment her? Faye couldn't tell if he was making fun of her now, or if he really meant that she didn't need makeup. While Gaston gently rubbed Faye's shoulders over, Lady Foret appeared in the doorway, watching them with an enamored expression on her face; she'd never seen Gaston stumble with his words before, especially in front of a woman.

"How adorable," Mariella gushed excitedly. Gaston tensed up & glared over at the woman, but she simply smiled back & snapped her fan open, walking back to the salon. Faye blushed in the wake of Mariella's departure, quietly following after Gaston when his hand closed over hers & he dragged her to the salon.

"Faye, keep Mother busy for a bit; LeFou finish that damn tea; Mother… behave yourself with my bride."

Gaston barked his orders & left out the front door, heading outside to skin his rabbits for supper; he couldn't imagine that Faye would be happy to see dead, furry critters on their kitchen table in all honesty. Besides, the last thing he wanted to be around for was his mother gossiping with Faye, there was only one thing on that woman's mind, she knew better.

**…_..._...**

Faye felt a bit out of place as the her mother-in-law sat on a chair across from the sofa, motioning to Faye for her to sit down as well. Faye did as the older woman requested & sat down, neatly fixing her dress so it wasn't wrinkled or pleated incorrectly. Gaston's mother watched the girl fidget nervously & smiled a bit, remembering Faye's position all too clearly when she wed Gaston's birth father. The expectations of a new bride were crushing, but coddling the girl would only let her assume it was okay to hid from Gaston forever.

"Lady Faye, I know what happened last night," Madame Foret announced, "You know, your exploits have been gossiped about all over town already, you have quite the reputation for being a thrill-seeker. But, I digress, what I wanted to talk to you about was how you & Gaston probably didn't... spend quality time together last night."

Faye stiffened in her seat & looked at Mariella apprehensively. She didn't like the direction this conversation was heading in at all. She'd heard of the "morning after conversation" from her sisters, but was shocked Lady Foret would conduct it without her husband present; well actually, it shouldn't be so bad since she & Gaston didn't have sex the night before. Would Faye also have to present the blood on her sheets when Gaston finally bedded her too? She'd heard stories... Madame Foret didn't seem to notice Faye's apprehensiveness & continued on.

"You sure stuck it to my boy last night, Faye," the woman said in a merry tone, "I bet he'll think twice about abandoning you in such a way ever again. I don't exactly approve of spending quality time with the riff-raff inside of a bar, but I suppose you were safe surrounded by men that know to fear Jean's wrath." Faye looked down at her hands & the Mariella reached forward over the coffee table, gently patting Faye's bunched-up fingers to soothe her; those fingers were cold from the autumn winds, very much unlike Gaston's. Her husband's hands were always incredibly warm, she realized with a blush; why was that?

"Lady Faye, have you & my son-"

"N-no, Madame, Nothing of the sort."

Mariella smiled & fluttered her fan a few times, remaining patient but firm with her new daughter-in-law. Her eyes sparkled in amusement as she watched the embarrassed Faye fidget before her.

"You will do well to call me Mama Marianne, Lady Faye," the woman announced softly, "You are a Foret as well now, you're family. I will not tolerate a woman with no pride in being my son's wife." Faye nodded in embarrassment & looked down at her hands again. This woman was going to hate her if she kept being so clumsy; she just knew it.

"Faye, are you afraid of my Jean?" Marianne pried on. Faye looked up at the woman in utter confusion. Why would she be afraid of her own husband?

"Of course not," Faye responded easily, "I would ever fear him. My husband has done nothing but protect & take care of me since the moment we met." That was a lie, really. Until this morning, Gaston's every action seemed to be centered on terrorizing her. But Marianne looked so pleased with this news that Faye didn't dare say otherwise.

"I just wonder because… well, you seem hesitant to consummate this marriage," Mariella announced, ignoring Faye's mortification, "If you don't want him to be intimate with you, my dear, you must say it now before things get out of hand. You can still annul this marriage if you don't want him to touch you." Faye nodded & looked down again. She knew it was unavoidable, but still, couldn't she & Gaston be married without all of this bedding business? Her mother had always insisted it was an unpleasant, messy thing that should be avoided until her husband was ready for children. Did this mean Gaston wanted children already?

"Madame, I just... I don't want to disappoint him," Faye admitted softly, "What If I can't please him? What if I consummate the marriage with Jean & we realize that we've both made a terrible mistake?"

Marianne smiled warmly at, standing from her seat as her opened the salon door. Gaston narrowed his eyes at the two of them, wondering what his mother was up to. Their voices were too quiet outside for him to hear in the hallway, so he had to come in.

"Faye, I wouldn't be too worried if I were you.," Faye's step-mother replied honestly, "Just have a little faith; my son is a brash & prideful man, but even he knows that he shouldn't treat the woman who will be at his side for the rest of his life like a common harlot."

With a short curtsy, Marianne stepped around Gaston & left the salon, pushing her son in & sliding the door shut. Gaston growled at his mother before turning back to check on Faye, who was sitting at the sofa & looking down at the hands in her lap. She was wringing the hell out of her dress, too, looking like she was determined to rip it. What the hell were those two talking about?

With a sigh, Gaston walked over to Faye, sitting down onto the sofa with her. His large frame crowding her against the side, Faye blushing darkly as she tried to scoot away. Gaston took his time propping his feet onto the coffee table & wrapped an arm about Faye's waist, pulling her against his side. Faye was completely rigid for a moment, still not trusting the liberties Gaston took in pulling her close, but forced herself to remained focused.

"You're going to insist tonight, aren't you?" Faye asked. Gaston scowled as she saw the look of frustration in Faye's gaze, his grip on her tightening on her side a bit.

"Damn right," the hunter responded with a drawl, "I don't see why the hell you wouldn't want to right now."

"Because it will hurt," Faye confessed, & rather loudly. Gaston was a bit taken aback by his bride's reason. His annoyance came back in full on when he realized that she was probably trying to make him feel pity for her; what she didn't know was that it hurt him _not_ to have sex, to be so close to her all the time & not be able to do a damned thing about it.

"Faye, it's not going to hurt." Gaston grumbled, reaching up & rubbing Faye's lower back to calm her.

"Oh yes it is," Faye fought him, "Mama said it always hurts."

"Well, it might just a bit at first, but-"

"You just contradicted yourself!"

Gaston wasn't rubbing his bride's back anymore. He was gripping it. Hard. He hadn't even noticed until Faye had slapped his hand away. Gaston sighed & placed his hands on either sides of her face now, forcing the difficult woman to meet his gaze, uninterrupted.

"Have faith in me, Bride," the hunter commanded her softly, "& that's an order. Understood? I'm more than capable of making sure that you will enjoy yourself, so stop acting like you're meeting a death sentence."

Immediately, Gaston felt like a snake. Faye looked so disheartened by his order, & it was frustrating to know that she had such little trust in him. But God help him, his own wife wasn't going to call the shots in his household. He could just hand his trousers over to her now if he didn't hold his ground with Faye in this. & did she really have to make everything about being married so damned hard? It was his job to provide a comfortable life for the both of them, & her job was to please him, as well as give him children. One way or another, Faye was going to learn her damn place as wife.

"Faith requires trust, Jean," Faye mumbled, "& trust has to be earned."

Gaston felt himself melt inside at the sound of his name, despite himself. Funny, but it didn't feel like an insult when Faye said it. But he didn't dwell; she had a good point & he had to admit, she was smarter than he originally thought. Most of the women in his life trusted first & learned later; it was how his mother was left to fend for herself by his father. Faye apparently only gave her trust to those who she felt earned it; he liked that, But, by God, she was going to share a bed with him tonight even if he had to drag her by the hair.

"Let me earn your faith tonight, Faye," Gaston announced with the most confident tone, "If you truly hate the way I make love to you, we will never do it again. I swear." Faye looked up into Gaston's eyes & saw that he was, indeed, telling the truth. Or rather, her husband looked too sure of himself for her to think he would fail. She couldn't help but feel a little relieved at his certainty, but Faye could also see the determination in Gaston's eyes; he wouldn't just let her wiggle away at the first chance she got & feign indifference.

"W-we should go eat, Husband," Faye told Gaston as he leaned into her, his lips almost touching her own; damn didn't she know how to read a situation? All he wanted was a bit of affection from her right now, he'd behaved enough to earn at least _that_, hadn't he? With a low sigh, Gaston kissed Faye's forehead & stood from the sofa, helping her to her feet as well. Together they walked into the kitchen, Faye going to help LeFou finish cooking their rabbit stew, the meat & vegetables already painstakingly chopped up & on the counter.

Gaston watched with curiosity as his bride struggled to follow LeFou's advice while they cook, starting to come to an odd realization; she didn't know anything about cooking. The amused hunter held in a chuckle as she watched her almost put in the mushrooms before the other vegetables &let LeFou try to teach her the right order of cooking vegetables, his eyes gleaming with amusement. What kind of woman didn't know how to cook?

* * *

><p><em><span>Author's Note:<span>_

_Just in case you were wondering if Mariella really fangirled over Gaston fumbling over how to compliment his wife; yes, yes she did._


	12. Aunt Sara

_**Disclaimer:**_

_**Comments, private messages, & advice is always appreciated. I love to hear other opinions, but please, keep the bs to a minimum. This story will be getting more mature in the future, with dom/sub themes. So be warned, & 18+ please.**_

_Author's Note:_

_I probably don't have to mention this, but Gaston's birth name, Jean, is pronounced "Jon", as in the French pronunciation. Since I have last announced this, people have asked me why his name came from pants... Oi. .-._

* * *

><p><em><strong><span>Chapter 11:<span>**_

By the end of that week, Gaston was pretty damn sure that his bride was trying to drive him insane. In fact, he was willing to place bets on it. Somehow, she'd single-handedly figured out how to keep him from having sex with her, using the most underhanded trick she could as a woman; apparently, Gaston's bride had started her menstrual cycle just in time to avoid carrying out her "wifely duties." Gaston wondered to himself in the evenings if he was already dead & enduring hell.

Faye was suddenly clingy during this time, keeping close to her husband & wanting to be around him at all times. While Gaston admittedly enjoyed that she was less bashful to have physical contact with him, he found himself taking more jobs in town, even construction work with other villagers to avoid too much interaction with her in a day. Having to deal with the awkward stares & not-so-subtle gossip among watchers was worth him being able to relax; it also helped that he was thoroughly exhausted when he got home, it made him less inclined to touch or harass his bride in a way that would make her snap it him. Things were just better when Faye was peaceful.

But on the third day of enduring this dramatic change, Gaston felt like he was going to go off the deep end. He didn't go to work this day, waking from one of his nightmares to the sound of Faye groaning & flopping to her side like a fish. Gaston dragged himself to sit up & lean over Faye as she whined about the aching from her hips to her knees, coupled with some shaking that made him nervous.

"I'll go fetch the town doctor," Gaston grunted, frowning when Faye's hand shot out to grab his arm; her knuckles grew white at the effort she exerted to keep him close, which meant that she thankfully still had strength. She looked so pitiful as she stared up at him, wiping a tear from her eyes & wrapping an arm around her torso. Apparently, she didn't want him going anywhere. With a sigh, Gaston laid back down beside Faye, wrapping a protective arm about her & resting his head on hers.

"Some months are just worse than others," Faye finally mumbled quietly, "Usually, it doesn't hurt this bad, but sometimes..."

Gaston gave Faye a grim nod, leaning in & kissing the top of her head. Part of him still wanted to go grab the doctor just in case, but knowing how prudish his wife was, she'd probably die of embarrassment if she had to deal with a strange man in the bedroom. He'd let the woman have her way for now & helped her get out of be that morning, even being a gentleman & allowing her some privacy to get herself situated & dressed for the day.

Gaston could still remember his nightmare from the night before, fear making him want Faye in his sight just as much as she wanted him. He'd had vivid dreams before, but last night, he could feel the cold sweat on his blood, the panic of death settling in, & he could smell blood... Faye's blood. There was no reason of him to imagine Beast breaking into their home, even less reason for him to imagine that vile creature attacking his Faye. But it happened.

_You tried to take what is mine,'_ the beast had told him, _'So I took what is yours.'_

Even as Faye chattered happily next to the fire that afternoon & cuddled into his side, Gaston could still remember seeing her body clawed open, & trembling from shock. Her pathetic sobbing & gasping for air as her torn neck bled freely onto their bedroom floor. She was scared as she died in his arms, & he couldn't do anything but rock her as the light faded from her eyes. It was his own damn dream, & he was as powerless as a newborn babe in the face of his fears; she was becoming important to him, & people may try to use her against him in the future.

"Jean?" Faye called softly, her husband tilting his gaze to her & finally giving her his full attention. Faye blushed as he wrapped an arm around her & kissed her forehead, his hands gently petting her back. Whether Beast was still a monster or human prince, he would never take Faye from him; he would make damn sure of that.

**..._..._...**

Sara Winters was a kindly woman about the age of Gaston's mother, & arrived at their door just after sunset while Faye & Gaston relaxed after supper. When Le Fou answered the door, he could have sworn it was a future version of Faye. The red hair under her bonnet was a bit faded & she lacked the freckles Faye had, but her green eyes still sparkled brilliantly with playfulness. Faye heard the woman's voice from the salon & rushed to the door, Gaston taking his time to make his way there. He was greeted with the sight of the women hugging each other tight & Le Fou dragging her traveling trunk into the foyer. What the hell?

"Je-, I mean, Gaston, this is my Aunt Sara," Faye said with a happy smile, "Aunt Sara, this is my husband, & the person helping with your luggage is Le Fou." Sara nodded with a gentle calmness, despite Faye's gushing excitement, & Gaston guessed that the woman was used to Faye's behavior. Good; an ally.

"Aunt Sara, how is mother? & Christina's baby, has it come yet?" Faye asked as the woman led her aunt into the home. What was going on? Wasn't she going to ask his permission before letting her family stay? Apparently not. Gaston growled under his breath, grabbed Sara's trunk from Le Fou, & took it upstairs to the guest room, letting it fall to the ground with a thump. He had no idea why or how this woman found Faye, but he hoped that she wasn't hear to try & annul the marriage.

Gaston made his way to the salon, & Faye was busy talking Sara's ears off. It was quite a sight, really. & he was a bit jealous as attention Faye fawned her aunt with was damn near infuriating. Gaston stood in the doorway & rested his shoulder against the frame as he watched his bride talking with her aunt until he could take no more.

"Damn it, Faye, let the woman relax for a bit," Gaston barked, "Go make some tea. Le Fou just left for home." It was a lie, Le Fou was probably scrubbing up footprints in the doorway, but Sara looked like she could use a break from the whirlwind of questions. Faye made an annoyed scowl in Gaston's direction, but excused herself anyway. Gaston made his way into the salon & Faye walked out to the kitchen. Gaston looked back at the retreating form of his bride before sliding the salon door shut.

"No games, woman," Gaston said in a low voice, "Were you sent here to spy on my bride? I won't let you take her, this is her home now." Sara was pulling the bonnet on her head off & smiled at Gaston when she smoothed it in her lap. She didn't look daunted by his looming presence, in fact, she looked like she had fully expected his hostility.

"I am here to make sure my niece isn't regretting her decision to run away from home," Sara announced softly, "She left a note for the family, you see. Her parents are looking with more conventional methods back at home, but it wasn't hard to follow a pretty young girl traveling alone. She was lucky that most of the taxis she rode in had men with daughters of their own or she could have been taken advantage of." Gaston growled under his breath at the thought of his naïve bride traveling by herself from only God knew where. Lucky was an understatement.

"As you've probably noticed already, Faye doesn't have very much confidence in herself," Sara continued softly, her gaze drifting to the window, "I was born as a rusty like her, you see. Unlike Karen, I wasn't able to secure a husband. Of course, Faye's reason for not being married is probably a bit more complicated than my own." Sara stood & sighed lightly.

"Now, if you do not mind, I would like to retire for the evening," Sara announced to Gaston, "Faye will forgive me, I suspect." Gaston nodded absently as he tried to piece together the information given to him; what could possibly be so damaging that Faye would be so hard to find a husband? He led Sara up the stairs & to her bedroom, & the woman patted Gaston, smiling at him warmly before she went inside & gently shut her door.

**…_..._...**

Faye was standing in the doorway of the salon when Gaston returned, a rather sad look crossing her face. She looked so pitiful, it was hard not to laugh as he walked to her. Faye looked up as he approached, & Gaston's amusement disappeared when he saw the tears that had begun to form in his bride's eyes. Just how long had she gone without seeing her aunt?

"She's in her room?" Faye asked softly. Gaston nodded & she stepped back from the salon, balancing the tea tray in her hands as she slid the door shut.

"I'll bring this to her, then," Faye suggested, frowning when Gaston stepped into her path, completely blocking it with his bulky body.

"The woman needs rest, Bride," Gaston told her gruffly, "Let her rest." Faye shook her head & tried to skirt around Gaston again. When that didn't work, she thrust the tray into his hands, & while he was busy trying to balance it, Faye snuck past him & rushed for the stairs. Gaston let out a growl of annoyance & looked after Faye as a bit of sugar spilled onto the floor.

"I really need to talk to Aunt Sara!" Faye called out, "Just give me a few minutes!" She found the guest room Sara was in quickly & shut the door behind her just as Gaston roared at her again to obey him. Sara looked up from her trunk & stifled a giggle, taking a seat on the bed.

"You needed to talk to me, Faye?" Sara inquired all too knowingly. Faye nodded & locked the door before she sat at one of the chairs in the small room.

"Aunt Sara, it's just…"

"You don't know if you can trust your husband?"

Faye looked ashamed of herself, but nodded. Sara smiled warmly & dragged a chair in front of hers, gently squeezing Faye's hands in her own. She knew she should probably tell Faye she could have warned her about this, but the girl was already married, & all they could do now was move forward.

"You worry needlessly, Faye," the woman told her softly, "I can tell already; Monsieur Gaston is a bit rough around the edges, but under all of that roughness & brute force, you're going to find yourself a good man." Faye looked up at Sara hopefully at her coaching, but she didn't look convinced.

"Maybe I shouldn't have married him so quickly," Faye backtracked, "If I'd gotten to know him first-"

"You wouldn't have picked him if you wanted to get to know a man, you silly girl," Sara snapped at her niece, "I know what you were thinking, you tried to find a man who looked like he could hold is own in a fight. & it's probably a good thing that the two of you didn't court one another. On the exterior, your husband isn't a very likable man." Faye sighed & nodded until Sara continued.

"Do you not want to be with him? Are you afraid of him?" Sara asked.

"It doesn't matter what I want, Aunt Sara."

"Faye…"

"Yes, Aunt, I want to be with Gaston," Faye announced, "The moment I met him, I knew that no matter how ferocious he looks, he'd never hurt me. But Aunt Sara, he… he wants to… sleep with me." The last part came out in a blurt & Sara nodded. Faye was confused at her aunt's easy admission. She didn't seem to be surprised at all.

"Well, that tends to be a husband's natural inclination," Sara informed Faye, "Are you afraid?"

"Only a little," Faye mumbled, "Of course I knew he'd want to do such a thing eventually when it came to having heirs, but Aunt Sara, he won't even give me a moment to get used to the idea. & I know that asking for courtship is out of the question."

"I would expect him to not want to wait, Faye," Sara announced, "You are his wife, & he wouldn't have married you if he didn't want you." Faye had to stop & think about that. When she considered all things, Gaston had agreed to marry her without getting to know her at all. There had to be a reason, right?

"But, I'm still-"

"Just do as I said; look under all of that bluster & you'll find a good man," Sara suggested with a gentle smile. Faye nodded & a roar filled the room. Faye's name was being yelled. The young woman grimaced & crossed her arms indignantly, Sara standing & going to her door to open it up for Gaston.

"You see, Aunt Sara?" Faye tattled when the door opened to reveal a very angry Gaston, "The only time he says my name, he yells it. What has you in such a snit now, Husband?"

Gaston growled at his wife's teasing words & scooped her up into his arms, ignoring the small inconvenience she created by struggling & kicking her legs about. Without a word, Gaston took the angrily yelling Faye to their bedroom & slammed the door shut, not once opening his mouth lest he say something that hurt Faye's feelings. Sara let out a small, wistful sigh & shrugged, going back into her room & closing the door behind her.


	13. Bride

"Unhand me, you ogre!" Faye commanded for the third time. Now that the room was secured & locked, Gaston submitted to her request (if one would call it that) & unceremoniously shoved his bride off of his shoulder & onto their bed. Faye let out a cry that mixed between fear & anger before she landed & immediately began to try to fight her way out of the plush bed. It took all of Gaston's self-control to remain hard & calm at the sight of Faye floundering around as the bed sucked her & her big dress into it. Somehow, she dragged herself out & glared angrily at her husband.

"I didn't mean you could drop me!" she yelled at him

"Well, you weren't exactly specific, were you?" Gaston countered easily. Faye's cheeks flamed up in anger & she crossed her arms in front of her chest in her best effort to look intimidating. When Gaston still towered over her, it wasn't exactly effective. Gaston rubbed a large hand over his face & wondered if he'd ever be as understanding of Faye as her aunt was.

"Damn it, Faye."

"Don't say that."

"Say what?"

Faye was staring at Gaston with worry & confusion laced through ever single feature of her body. Oh hell, what was she going on about now? Did she have more rules for him?

"You shouldn't use blasphemies, Gaston," Faye said in a soft voice. Gaston was incredulous. He let out a deep growl of annoyance & herded Faye back to their bed & sat her down. He needed to get some kind of sense out of his bride. Her mind hopped from topic to topic, & he was never sure what she was up to. He was going to be driven daft by a woman barely half his size.

"Why the hell can't I say what I want, Bride?" Gaston asked crossly. Faye wrung her dress in her hands again & tried to keep eye contact with her ferocious husband.

"Because it's against God," Faye mumbled matter-of-factly, "If you don't stop using such words, you'll go to… to… to Hell." Gaston grew more exasperated & sighed. Faye looked dead serious about this matter. What the hell did blue bloods brainwash their daughters with these days?

"Faye, I won't go to Hell for cursing," Gaston snapped.

"Oh, yes you will!" Faye countered quickly, "Mama says-"

"Damn it, Faye," Gaston repeated himself, "Your _mama_ has a knack for teaching you things that aren't true." Faye gasped & her eyes widened with tears welling up. Dear God, he was going to throttle her if he didn't control himself.

"Mama wouldn't lie," Faye said in a shaky voice.

Gaston had to admit, Faye's loyalty was admirable. Would she be as protective of him in the future? Now that Gaston thought on it, his years as a bachelor hadn't left his reputation exactly pristine, but the thought of his little wife challenging nay-sayers with such a big voice made him swell with pride. As an added bonus, it was nice to know that Faye didn't want him to go to Hell. Gaston decided it was time to calm himself & plopped down on the bed next to Faye. She bounced up as if she weighed nothing & had to right herself.

"Faye, I don't think your mother would lie," Gaston admitted, "But some of the things higher-class women are taught-"

"I'm not a higher-class woman."

"Like hell you aren't."

"But-"

Gaston groaned & covered his bride's mouth with one of his big hands. Faye was going to challenge EVERYTHING he said, wasn't she? He stood up again & decided it was high time Faye got a good talking-to. She needed to learn to start listening to him & to decide things for herself. He would be calm & understanding, he decided, just lay down his expectations of her without making her feel trapped in any way.

**…_..._...**

Gaston was yelling by the time he finished his lecture. Faye thought of telling her husband about this fact, but his eyes were wild & there was a vein pulsing at his temple. He was too far gone for saving. Gaston covered his cursing to the matter of him bedding her, making sure to be painfully clear in what he wanted out of Faye in each instance, as though she were daft. Faye didn't mind terribly, for somewhere down the line, she'd realized that she truly loved her husband.

The man was pushy, crude, arrogant, & many other things a gentleman shouldn't be around a lady, but he fought for what he cared about. Faye had never seen such passion between her mother & father, & certainly not as much honesty. They stayed in their little boxes, content with pretending their lives were infinitely perfect. Not Gaston; he was loud, he swore, & used force when he wanted to make his point. Faye had found her match.

When he was finished, Gaston knew that Faye's mind had wandered. She was staring off into space with a dreamy expression, as though she were imagining something along the lines of a fairy tale. It better be a damned fairy tale & not another man.

Faye didn't notice her husband's approach until too late; his lips pressed down hard on hers & she responded, kissing him back as her arms reached up to wrap around his neck. Gaston growled softly & deepened the kiss once he had her consent, his tongue exploring her mouth in a ferocity that almost frightened Faye. Suddenly, Gaston pulled from his wife & stood up, watching her catch her breath. She was too pretty for him to contain himself.

"Who taught you to kiss?" Gaston asked Faye as he helped her to stand & pulled her into his arms. His hands rested on her back & bottom, an action that made Faye jump a bit in embarrassment & try not to pull away; her husband took entirely too many liberties with her body.

"Y-you taught me," Faye finally responded to Gaston. He looked at her skeptically & his hands squeezed tighter on her body.

"Don't lie to me, woman."

"I'm not lying, you ogre! If you don't like the way I kiss you-"

"I like it."

Gaston leaned down & kissed Faye again, making her legs go completely weak. She slumped against her husband & he smiled to himself. He knew he was rather skilled as a lover, but Faye's inexperience only multiplied the pleasure he could give her. It was only a matter of time before Gaston couldn't take anymore & pulled from his wife, sitting her in bed gently.

Faye laid on her back to regain her senses, not noticing that Gaston was pulling off her dainty shoes until she sat back up & saw him tossing them across the room. Faye reached down to try & slap his large, warm hands away, but suddenly, they slid up to her upper thighs & Gaston pressed his upper body to push Faye back down as he moved to work her stockings down next.

Gaston was jarred from his haze of passion when he found that Faye had a garter belt on tonight & decided to slow himself down. Faye was in a near panic under him; he could feel her heartbeat hammering nervously in her breast & feel her nails digging through his shirt on his shoulders. Her growing fear of him sobered him up quite a bit & he took his time unsnapping her garters before his dull nails dragged down her soft skin & he pulled her stockings off slowly.

Faye's fingers reached up to grab his hair as he slid down & they caught the ribbon in his hand, pulling his raven hair loose till it fell over his face & shoulders, masking his destination. Gaston pulled himself off the bed & tossed Faye's stockings with her shoes. Faye embarrassedly pushed her skirts back where they should be as Gaston grabbed one of her feet & gently kissed an inner ankle. The gentle action made her shiver from head to toe. She clutched his ribbon still in his hand & he reached down, scooping her up to stand.

"Get undressed Faye," Gaston commanded his bride softly. Faye frowned & backed up a bit, finding herself effectively trapped in front of the bed now. Gaston had her ensnared; there was no point in running either, not with the door locked.

"I don't think I'm going to like you touching me very much," Faye admitted softly. Gaston didn't look very insulted. Instead of responding, he gently turned Faye to face the bed & pushed her long hair over her shoulder before he began to unbutton the back of her dress.

"That's a shame Faye," Gaston growled against the back of her hair, "Because I'm going to be touching you all the damn time." Faye shivered at his words, & then again when cool air brushed against the back of her neck. Gaston himself was trying hard to behave himself as he finished unbuttoning Faye's dress & moved to pull it off. God, she had those adorable freckles on her shoulders & neck, too. He couldn't help himself & leaned in closer to kiss her right shoulder, over one of the freckles darker than others.

Faye didn't seem to be willing to release her dress so Gaston slipped his fingers into the bodice & pushed the material off. She let out a pitiful whimper as her dress slid to the floor, but stayed still. Gaston smiled & kissed her neck, & felt his bride slowly starting to relax. Wooing a virgin wouldn't be very hard to do, he decided then. Faye was so innocent, it wouldn't take any time at all for him to get his way.

* * *

><p><span><em>Author's Note:<em>

_Yeah, I'm a virgin writing romance scenes. This might not end well... -coughs-_


	14. Wife

_Author's Note:_

_I keep having to do retakes while I write these chapters. I'm just like "am I really writing this?" constantly. Sure, I own multiple romance novels, but I've never WRITTEN this kinda stuff before. For some reason, it's a more intimate & embarrassing experience than reading. I swear, I'm 19 & looking over my shoulder to make sure my mother isn't there._

* * *

><p>Bedding a virgin was damned hard work. Gaston didn't know what to do with Faye. One moment, she was warm, welcoming, accommodating even. But the second he moved to pry her legs apart, she fought him something fierce. Just like now.<p>

Gaston let out a grunt of agony & impatience as he pulled from Faye finally & lay on his side beside her. She finally stopped slapping his shoulders & stayed in the center of the bed where he left her. There were tears welled up & ready to fall. Gaston sighed & made sure he wasn't touching her as he tried to calm himself. He'd try again when he wasn't so consumed with the need to claim her; when his need for her didn't literally hurt so much. Dear God, he wanted to be inside her warmth right now. But she had to be ready; when Gaston seized the conquest that was Faye, she would be warm, wet, _willing_.

Faye herself was feeling much better without her muscled husband towering over her. The trapped feeling she had under him faded the instant he gave her space. Now she wanted him to kiss her again. The look that Gaston had on his face worried though. He looked ready to either shout at her, or wring her neck. Maybe both. Turning on her side to face Gaston, Faye gently reached up to touch his cheek.

"Jean?" Faye mumbled softly. He opened his eyes to look at her & immediately regretted the severity in his glare. Faye flinched visibly & withdrew her hand from his cheek; but thankfully, she didn't run. Only after Gaston relaxed his expression did she seem to relax.

"Are you angry with me?"

"No."

"Yes you are."

"Faye… I don't want to hurt you. I'm not angry; I'm frustrated."

Faye's eyes widened at Gaston's statement. She felt like crying again, but that time, with joy. He really cared for her feelings, didn't he? Gaston, her ogre of a husband, cared & didn't want to harm her. With that, she found herself wanting him to kiss her more. She was a little more prepared for this bedding thing he insisted upon.

"Jean, do you like kissing me?" Faye asked her husband sweetly. Gaston looked at his wife as his name rolled off her tongue again. He wanted her to say his name more; much louder, too. But he would just have to wait until he figured out what she was up to. Dear God, he wished he wished he had the patience for this; his every nerve felt like snapping with the effort it took not to attack his bride.

"Yes, Faye," Gaston finally replied in a clipped voice, "But I don't want to just kiss you. I want to touch you. Everywhere." The hunter closed his eyes & waited for Faye to freeze up on him again. How was he going to catch this prey when force was the _last_ method he should use?

Faye answered this question to himself when one of her smooth hands reached out to grab his & place it gingerly on one of her breasts, for she could tell that he liked holding them earlier when he was undressing her; he couldn't seem to stop touching them when her corset came off. Gaston opened his eyes at the feel of warmth under his fingers & almost gasped at the sight of Faye's green eyes staring at him, glittering prettily in the dim light of their room. Was she ready? Was this a test of some sort?

Gaston watched his bride for a few moments until she became impatient & scooted closer. She continued to watch him, her fingers reaching up to slide down his cheek again. Gaston all but came unglued at the feel of her fingers on him & began to take over his duty, gently squeezing & teasing Faye's breast. She closed her eyes & let out a soft sigh as he did so, only opening her eyes again when Gaston gently encouraged her onto her back again & moved over her.

Faye's heart hammered in her chest, but this time, from excitement as Gaston leaned down & began to tease the swell of her bosom with his mouth. She arched up & ran her fingers through his hair, realizing for the first time that his hair was actually much longer than what was fashionable. She hadn't paid much mind to it, for his often messy ponytail just fit him.

Faye would have asked Gaston about the ever important issue of his hair if the man hadn't moved up at that moment & kissed her. Faye closed her eyes & forgot her question, too dazed to notice his wandering hand until it slid between her legs & cupped the spot that she had never even touched herself. Faye tensed up completely in shock & Gaston stayed completely still where he was, allowing her to get used to the feel of his hand in a place so intimate. He didn't continue until she relaxed, but didn't let her push his seeking hand away either.

"I love the way you respond to me, Faye," Gaston whispered softly. Faye blushed & tried to hide her face into his neck, but Gaston used his free hand to grab the fiery curls of her hair & keep her in place. She had no choice but to stare up at her husband. He certainly wasn't smiling, but he wasn't angry either. Instead, a look of complete concentration covered his face, & even Faye couldn't ignore the predatory glint in his eyes. The hunter was about to move in on his prey. It was then that Gaston decided to use his skills as a hunter to win Faye over.

Without hurry, Gaston moved his body between Faye's legs, making sure not to make any sudden movements, as if she were a small faun, easily spooked by the slightest mistake. He kept eye contact with her for the slightest flicker of fear; thankfully, there was none. Faye stayed still as Gaston lowered himself onto her, the trusting glint in her eyes shaking him to his core. She pushed his ability to remain gentle even further when her hips pushed up, cuddling his hardness between his thighs. Gaston growled softly & leaned down to kiss her as he grabbed her hips to keep her still.

"Faye, don't-" Gaston breathed out into his bride's lips, "You're going to make me daft, Woman." Faye nodded, but wasn't paying all the much attention. She'd only been experimenting, really. The feel of Gaston's chest against her breasts was amazing; she had to see if pressing their lower halves would be as amazing. & it was.

Gaston twisted his hand more into his bride's hair & eased himself into Faye as she was preoccupied with her own thoughts, stopping when he felt the barrier that proved her virginity. There was no question when it came to Faye that she was a virgin, but all the same, Gaston felt a surge of pride when it finally rushed to him that Faye was all his. Faye was no harlot from the bar or traveling prostitute along the travel roads; she was Faye Adele Foret, _his_ woman. No other man ever had or ever would have her besides him. Something in the back of Gaston's mind warned him that he shouldn't be so attached to the woman below him, but instinct collided & obliterated those thoughts completely, & now all Gaston could think of was spilling his seed.

"Faye, look at me," Gaston commanded in the gentlest voice he could muster. His voice wasn't gentle at all, but Faye could sense his attempt to keep her calm & did as he asked. Her cheeks turned a pretty red again as Gaston ordered her to wrap her legs about his waist & he pressed his body down onto her's gently. Faye's loud cry of pain was silenced by a hard kiss from Gaston.

There was no slapping him off of her now. When Faye began to try & wiggle away, Gaston grabbed her hands as gently (but firmly) as he could & held them prisoner beside her head. Tears slipped over the freckles on her cheeks & Gaston warred inside himself over whether he should stop; he decided firmly against it when he remembered his promise to Faye. There was no way he was going to depreciate his skills as a man & stop before she began to enjoy herself.

"Shh, it's okay baby," Gaston murmured softly as he released Faye's hands & wrapped his arms under her body, "Faye, don't around move like that, It makes me want to-" Gaston cut himself off & let out a groan against Faye's neck. His arms squeezed her tight & held her still as she began to voice her complaints rather loudly into his ear.

"Get off of me, Jean," she tried to order him through her sobs, "I don't want to do this anymore. This is too painful!" Gaston took a moment to work of the best smile he could muster & then leaned up, taking his wife's face into his hands. She stopped beating on his back & instead, & Gaston could feel her nails dig into his back. Faye's face was the epitome of angry, but Gaston continued to smile. His thumbs rubbed the tears from her eyes & to Faye's surprise, after a short amount of time, the pain inside her started to fade. Gaston could see the gradual relaxation in her face & leaned down, kissing her.

Faye let out a yelp as Gaston began to move slowly, her nails digging harder into his shoulders now. Gaston groaned out what sounded like a "sorry" & kept his slow pace, unable to stop anymore. Faye felt warmer, tighter, softer than he could have ever imagined. & with a little experience, he knew she would only get better & better. The soft groans of pain that were transforming into little erotic whimpers of pleasure made him feel triumphant & Gaston slowly grew more bold with his thrusts until he was driving in hard, unable to hold back.

The woman below him wasn't letting him be gentle anymore. Faye moaned & arched up for more, softly begging & pleading for Gaston to continue. She was so open & honest with what he did to her body; she didn't want to hold back anything. In fact, Gaston had given so much of himself by the time they found fulfillment & Gaston collapsed on top of Faye for a few moments, the hunter was completely terrified of his gentle bride. How did she rip the discipline right out of him so easily? Gaston quickly pushed the weak thoughts out of his mind & finished spending himself inside of Faye before he pulled himself out & moved to lay on his side. Faye, who'd grown to like his warmth all too much moved in & snuggled against her husband snugly. Gaston grit his teeth over the clingy woman but wrapped an arm over her to keep her from complaining.

"You were right, Jean," Faye mumbled, shocking Gaston completely, "I just needed to trust you…" Gaston forced himself not to push himself away from Faye from the shock of her sudden humbleness. Damn it all if he hadn't been completely proud of himself when Faye had given him this praise. What the hell did it matter if she thought he was an amazing lover? He was her _only_ lover. Damn it; wrong thought. The thought that he was her first & last only increased his pride more. Was it normal of a husband to be so pleased of himself for satisfying his wife?

"Jean…" Faye started talking again, "Have you been with other women?"

"What?"

"Please just answer."

"Fine. Yes."

"Were they in this bed?"

"No."

Faye looked immensely relieved by Gaston's admission & laid back down with him. Good, maybe he could get his sleep now. Or not. Before Gaston could even close his eyes, Faye had propped up herself on her elbow. He held back a growl & looked up at Faye expectantly.

"When you… did things with these other women-"

"Damn it, Faye."

"What did you do when you finished?"

Gaston looked at Faye as if she'd gone completely mad. Did Gaston's sweet bride losing her virginity suddenly make her vulgar? But he couldn't walk around it. She was staring contently & apparently wouldn't back down.

"When I finished," Gaston growled, "I left." Faye's eyes widened for a moment & Gaston almost reached up to throttle her when the green orbs grew misty with tears. Hell, he didn't have the patience for anymore tears.

"Are you going to leave me now?"

_That_ question threw Gaston off base & shook him deeply. A cold feeling settled in his stomach when he just imagined sleeping without Faye beside him. It was entirely unthinkable. Gaston growled & pulled his wife to him; she was his, & there was no way that he'd let her escape him for a mere moment from that moment on. But he couldn't say such an absurd thing to her.

"Faye, this is my bed. I'm going to sleep."

There, that would shut her up.

"No it isn't husband," Faye snapped, "It's mine. & you've yet to give me a goodnight kiss. It's proper that a man & woman share a kiss goodnight & fall asleep in each other's arms."

"Faye, how would you know anything about making love?" Gaston gruffed in annoyance, "I know for damn sure you were a virgin before tonight."

Gaston opened his eyes & regretted doing so. Faye was close to crying again. Were all women so damn emotional, or was it just her? Gaston growled & kissed Faye's forehead to placate her request & tucked her face into his chest. Faye settled against her husband, content for the moment. She finally let herself relax before Gaston really did leave her alone in bed for the evening. The man looked like a beast hell-bent on getting his beauty rest. Oh well, she'd let him have it. Faye sighed & snuggled closer to her husband for his warmth, promising herself that the issue of her husband sharing her bed every night would be addressed in the morning. But first-

"Jean?"

"What the hell now, Faye?"

"You can't call me bride anymore."

"Damn it, Faye!"

* * *

><p><span><em>Author's Note:<em>

_There. I finished it. –dies of massive nose bleed-_


	15. Caught

Faye awoke when Gaston got out of bed the next morning. He was very careful not to stir her out of sleep, but it was hard when they were both tangled in each other. But he was able to get out of bed before drawing too much attention to himself, give himself a quick sponge bath to wash off Faye's virgin blood, & head to the closet to dress. She was staring at him sleepily when he turned back to face her & finish buttoning a heavy cotton shirt, apparently confused why he was getting ready for the day when it was dark out. The sight of the fireplace glowing on Faye's bare skin & fiery hair almost made him crawl back in bed & claim her again. But he knew better; it was easy to tell Faye was sore when she shifted in bed & winced. It was better to go hunting today as planned.

"Faye, I'm going hunting this morning," Gaston announced softly, "I go every Tuesday & Thursday morning, & I should be back by noon." Faye simply nodded, which was an unusual response. Gaston didn't like seeing her so silent, to his shock. Was she really in that much pain? Gaston walked over to their large bed & gently pulled Faye up to him & into his lap, using one of his big hands to force her head to rest against his chest. Now that he looked at her face up close, he could see the worry in her eyes.

"Faye?"

"We can't ever make love again, Jean," Faye responded in a dismal tone. She looked ready to cry on him now. & damn it, what was she going on about now?

"The hell we can't," Gaston growled, "I know very damn well you enjoyed yourself."

"Not the whole time! You hurt me last night, Jean."

"I know, baby," Gaston murmured into Faye's cheek, "That was something completely unavoidable." Gaston didn't look very sorry at all. Faye leaned back to look at her husband with the angriest expression that she could muster. How dare he act like her pain was nothing!

"Jean," Faye decided to continue her argument instead, "Something happened last night." Gaston looked down to Faye & quirked an eyebrow at her. She looked completely worried all over again. Faye could piss off a saint, Gaston concluded to himself. She just never quit.

"Faye, what happened?"

"I… well, I…."

"Well?"

"I… I bled."

Faye looked down in embarrassment & adjusted her hips in Gaston's lap to rest in a position that the throbbing hurt less. Gaston grit his teeth at the action & fought to contain himself. His wife didn't know how provocative she could be, he reminded himself. She was completely innocent to the fact that such an action made him want her again. Besides, attacking her now would only anger her further.

"Faye, you were supposed to bleed," Gaston announced to his wife. He wrapped the sheet she was in tighter around her & kissed her forehead. Faye seemed to relax, but looked up at him for an explanation anyway. God, he didn't have the time for this. But it couldn't be avoided. Gaston knew his wife well enough already to know that if he left her to her thoughts, she'd only spiral out of control & harden her resolve not to make love with him again.

"The reason why you hurt so much was because I had to push through your virgin barrier," Gaston explained in the calmest voice he could muster. Faye nodded, & seemed to be placated enough by his explanation. Gaston resisted the urge to smile, lest Faye think that he was teasing her, & laid her back down in bed before he kissed her & pulled the covers over her as well. It disturbed the hunter greatly that he wanted nothing more than to stay with her & continue to show her the pleasures of being man & wife. _Nothing_ had ever taken precedence over hunting before. He left as Faye slipped back into slumber, thinking deeply on his wife & just what he was going to do about the unsettling changes she was bringing into his life.

**..._..._...**

Faye was thankful that Gaston wasn't home when she awoke later that morning. She groaned in pain as she dragged herself out of bed & did a lot of sighing as she cleaned the blood still on her thighs & pulled the bedsheets off of the bed. When she had them tossed into the corner of the room, Faye dressed in her yellow gown & inspected the dirt stains in her petticoat. They thankfully weren't noticeable at all & Faye left the room in search of clean sheets for the bed. She hunted through several empty rooms, finding something very odd with Gaston's office downstairs. The man had no books on his bookshelves. Was that intentional? Instead of books, wooden carvings & trophy animals were lazily scattered on every shelf. It was a crime to a book lover such as herself.

Faye immediately rushed her way back to the master bedroom, almost colliding into Le Fou on the way. He looked at Faye a bit confusedly before heading to the salon where Faye's aunt awaited Le Fou & their tea. He'd check in on his mistress later when Lady Sara was content on her own for a while. After Le Fou was in the salon, Faye had come bounding down the steps with the large pile of books she'd kept at the bottom of her traveling trunk. With great difficulty, Faye pushed the large oak door to Gaston's office & made her way to his desk. Faye's books littered the top of it as she set about organizing his many animal trinkets & then finding a spot in the middle of is in-wall book shelves to put 12 or so books. There. Much better.

Faye smiled at her handiwork & selected one of the books in her collection & moved to the settee that sat before a large window. Pulling back the curtains, Faye admired the view of the grassy field behind Gaston's house & the forest that was not much farther than that before she sat back down on the settee & began to read her book.

**..._..._...**

His wife was a damned book-reader. Gaston didn't know how he hadn't noticed it before, but it was so obvious now that he'd caught her. Faye was an apparent dreamer, completely idealistic, & was under the assumption that things fell into place... like a book. Gaston rubbed his eyes as he watched Faye nap on the settee from the doorway of his office. Normally, his attention would be focused on the warm glow that the afternoon sun made on Faye's hair, or his eyes would be glued to her slightly parted & undeniably soft lips. But this crisis was too much of a distraction. Gaston had gone & married a "Belle".

He'd promised himself never to let another nosy, idealistic, absent-minded woman into is life, but here he was. & there was Faye, cuddling one of her books. Her others had pushed his wooden carvings to the side & settled neatly in the center of his book cases. It was an abomination on every level that he'd let those vile things invade his house. Without much thought, Gaston made his way over to his sleeping wife & snatched the book in her hands away. Faye immediately roused from her sleep & looked up at him with the most innocent expression. Gaston felt like an ass; but he was still angry about the books.

Tossing Faye's book onto his desk, Gaston sat on the end of the settee & smoothed down his hair as Faye struggled to sit up. Damn it, why did she have to be so alluring? If she were a homely wife, it would be easy to just kick her & her damned books out. Gaston's gaze flickered over to the offensive items again before he finally got up & pulled Faye into is arms in a bridal hold.

"J-jean?" Faye squealed in shock, "What are you-"

"You're going take a nap, Wife," Gaston ordered, shoving the thought of her books aside, "In bed."

"I-i'm not tired anymore, Jean," Faye insisted, wincing lightly as Gaston ruined the romantic gesture of his bridal hold by carelessly letting her feet bang against the doorway. Gaston ignored his wife, & also his mother who came outside of the salon at the time with Faye's aunt. She called for Gaston,but the stubborn man kept walking until he reached the master bedroom & barged his way in. Faye was tossed into bed & he locked their bedroom door, securing them by themselves. Once that task was completed, Gaston walked to the washing basin & began to undress. Faye was confused & watched him as she began to pull off her dress.

"Are you napping as well, husband?"

"I don't take naps."

"You couldn't possibly want to-"

"Oh, yes I do, Faye."

"No!"

Faye's reaction was instantaneous. Immediately, she'd stopped undressing & looked away from her husband as he sponged the dirt & sweat from hunting off of himself & then began to approach his wife slowly. He had to be slow & gentle, he reminded himself.

"Faye, we're going to do this," Gaston announced, "Please don't make me go through this ordeal again."

"You call making love to me an ordeal?"

Faye's eyes sparkled with tears & Gaston sighed, cursing his choice of words. Of course he hadn't meant it that way, but Faye took his words to heart, as usual. With a sigh, Gaston wrapped his arms around Faye & hugged her against his nude body. Faye blushed, feeling him start to loosen her corset.

"Are you still tender?" Gaston asked his wife softly, rather deftly avoiding the previous topic. Faye shook her head, but still looked rather worried.

"We both know that I'll be tender again if you have your way," Faye grumbled softly. Gaston smiled & leaned down, kissing Faye hard to silence her protests as her corset fell to the ground, her pantaloons & bloomers following in due time. Faye's resistance faded completely when skin touched skin & Gaston growled softly against her lips in victory as he lowered her to their bed, covering her with his warmth. The fresh sheets she'd put on the bed earlier were crisp & clean under them, & Gaston was pleased that his wife had taken action without dawdling. At least he knew she could see to her duties, even if she was a horrible book-reader.

"Are you going to... move again?" Faye asked, her cheeks burning red now. Gaston smiled & dragged his wife to the center of their bed. She offered no resistance at all as he settled between her legs then & gently pinned her to the soft mattress below her.

"Yes," Gaston drawled as he pressed skin on skin again, "I'm going to move again." Faye nodded & reached up, gently wrapping her arms around his neck. She wasn't nearly afraid as the night before, especially since Gaston had promised that she would only hurt once. Smiling, Faye closed her eyes & hugged her husband closer, surrendering herself to him completely as the familiar feel of Gaston's large, warm hands widening her thighs & rubbing on her soft skin. She was ready for him.

"I l-like it when you move," Faye admitted softly, her cheeks burning red now. Gaston's smile deepened into a smirk & drove into Faye hard, watching the beautiful mixture of pain & pleasure contorting his wife's face. God, he'd never get tired of her.

"I know."

* * *

><p><span><em>Author's Note:<em>

_Gaston knows that Faye reads now. DUN DUN DUNNNNN._


	16. Your Place

In the end, Faye & Gaston did end up having a nap. After they'd exhausted themselves, falling asleep cuddled in bed was just too appealing. After Faye forced her husband to give her a post-coital kiss once more, she fell asleep against Gaston. He decided that he would follow suit after he spent some time thinking over the issue of her bringing books into his home.

Gaston never had to think on it before, but one of the reasons he probably hated books had to deal with the fact that he couldn't read. With a step-father who hunted for a living & a mother who had four daughters to take care of, the issue of learning to read never came up. Even before that disastrous Belle had trampled through his life, he didn't care for books. To admit that he couldn't read to anyone meant admitting that there was something the great Gaston couldn't accomplish.

Gaston looked down at Faye's sleeping face & wondered if he really was missing out on something. Faye herself was rather chipper & innocent, yes, but he wondered if those silly fairytales she read had any contribution to that eternally optimistic attitude that seemed to surround her. But then, maybe he was overthinking things. He'd just worry about it later & asked Sara about Faye's disturbing reading habit before he pulled the blankets up & fell asleep clutching his wife against his chest. He smiled when his wife instinctively rubbed her face on his knuckles, once again reminding him of a small kitten. What was he going to do with this woman?

**…_..._...**

The air inside the bedroom cooled considerably during the couple's nap, & Faye woke up shivering. She reached down to pull the bed quilt up & grumbled when she found it was snagged on something. When she opened her eyes, she noticed that the blanket was wrapped up in a man's legs. A naked man's legs. Faye almost screamed, until the haze of sleep lifted. She was married to this man, she reminded herself.

Gaston wasn't supposed to be in her bed, of course, but he wasn't a stranger, as she had previously convinced herself. But this sharing a bed business had to stop now. Scooting closer, Faye leaned in & poked Gaston's shoulder until he woke up. He was glaring at her something fierce.

"Get out of my bed," Faye grumbled.

Gaston let out a weary sigh before he responded. "Faye, this is my bed. If anyone is leaving, it will be you." Faye scowled at her stubborn husband & began to scoot to the foot of the bed to escape her prison between him & the wall. How that man took up so much space on the huge mattress baffled her.

"Fine," Faye snapped as she climbed off of the bed, "I'll move my things into one of the guest rooms then."

"Like hell you will," Gaston responded, not bothering to open his eyes. If you wish to, sleep on the floor. Faye bristled with anger & pulled the quilt from Gaston's legs before she stalked to the fireplace. It was slowly dying out now, so she grabbed some of the spare wood beside the fireplace & rekindled the flame. When it was crackling again, she wrapped the blanket around herself tightly & tried to warm herself.

"You're really bad at this cherishing thing, Jean Gaston Foret," Faye grumbled to herself, "Never in my life have I been treated so callously." Gaston heard every bit of his wife's tirade & smiled to himself. She was damned bossy, & sounded like a general, too.

"Well, at least you've learned your place already," Gaston responded, making Faye jump a bit in confusion, "It took my dog much longer to learn to stay off the furniture."

"YOUR DOG?"

Faye stalked back to the bed & jammed her finger against Gaston's shoulder.

"Move over, husband," Faye growled. Gaston shook his head, deepening her fury.

"Climb over, Faye," Gaston responded. His eyes were still shut.

"Why can't you just move over."

"Because."

"Because _why_?"

"Because if some bastard breaks into the room, I don't want to have to climb over my naked wife to beat him down."

Faye calmed considerably & smiled down at Gaston. He really was being considerate, wasn't he? More gently, she poked his shoulder until he opened his eyes & looked up at her.

"Can you help me back in bed, Jean?" Faye asked sweetly. Gaston resisted the urge to smile at her & used his hands to lift her onto their bed & then drag her back to her spot between him & the wall. He pulled the sheets up as she unwrapped the blankets from herself & the bedclothes were readjusted to where they should be. Faye then lay down & cuddled under the covers. But the coolness of the sheets made her shake. Soon enough, the bed was shaking from her shivering as well.

Gaston's patience was long gone now. Reaching out, he roughly pulled Faye to face him & trapped her in his arms. As he relaxed, his leg draped over hers to warm the lower half of her body. Faye closed her eyes & decided that she didn't mind Gaston keeping her next to him. It made her feel warm & safe when he held her. & maybe just a bit cherished.

"Faye, this is where you belong," Gaston grumbled in an irritated voice, "Now stop fighting me over sleeping arrangements, because I'm not going to have you where I can't protect you." Faye blushed & felt herself nod before she passed out against Gaston again & completed her nap.

**…_..._...**

About 3 hours passed after Gaston had dragged Faye upstairs before the two descended, both feeling rested up completely. Downstairs, Marianne & Aunt Sara were still in the salon, talking about some kind of town gossip. Gaston tried not to cringe at the fact that his previous bachelor pad was now swarmed with women & took a seat on the sofa in the room, dragging Faye to him so she would sit beside him. This didn't go unnoticed by Marianne, & she immediately pounced on the subject of grandchildren.

She continued on this tirade for a good half hour before LeFou made his way into the room & announced dinner was ready. Gaston's mother finally decided to calm herself & excused herself to head home & eat dinner there. Faye finally relaxed when her mother-in-law finally left & enjoyed a rather pleasant meal with her aunt, husband, & Le Fou.

When Faye went back to the kitchenette with LeFou to wash everyone's dishes, Gaston decided it was time to ask about his wife's reading. Sara was all too willing to hear the disgruntled hunter out when he said he wanted to talk & followed Gaston into his office. Once inside, he motioned to the books, & Sara smiled lightly.

"Ah, my dear Faye has always been a dreamer," Sara said with a soft sigh. She picked up the book that Gaston had thrown on the desk & walked around to the book shelf, sliding the book into place. Gaston rested against the door frame & resisted throwing all the damned things out the window.

"I had to teach her much of what she knows, actually," Sara announced as she turned to face Gaston again. "Her tutors didn't put much effort into her when they saw she was a rusty. Not many people believed she would ever marry, you see. But I knew that if she could read, she would have something to do when people in society ignored her."

Gaston grimaced & found himself feeling like an ogre all over again. He hadn't realized that reading had been a vice for Faye. Sure, he knew that her appearance had made life a little hard for her, but it never occurred in his mind that her family would literally shove her into the background. He was an illegitimate son in his own family, & there was still never any question that his mother & step-father loved him. Gaston wanted to get his hands on Faye's father more & more.

"Gaston, would you like to learn how to read?" Sara asked suddenly. Gaston scowled at the idea of him trying to learn such a thing & stood up straight then. She'd figured out that he couldn't read already, had she? The damn woman was as sharp as his wife. Just as cheeky, too.

"Why the hell would I want to learn such a useless thing, woman?" he growled before he slammed open his office door, "Let's head back to the dining room; dessert should be finished." Sara smiled after Faye's stubborn husband & followed him back to the dining room. He'd come around, she told herself, for now that she offered, he knew there was a place he could go to improve something that he wasn't very good at. With Gaston & in superiority complex, he'd ask her for help eventually.


	17. Second Helping

_Author's Note:_

_Hey, you guys. Sorry I disappeared on you, but school & artwork called me to attention. That & I've had the worst writer's block imaginable. & I have to somehow revive my Fable 3 fanfiction. If anyone as any suggestions, please private message me on here or on my DeviantART account. I can't promise that I'll use everything people send me, but maybe some ideas will get me rolling._

* * *

><p>Faye heard about Anabelle Tinker the very next day. &amp; things had been going so well with her husband.<p>

That morning, Gaston had gently awakened her before they headed downstairs, & _he_ taught _her_ how to make a few breakfast foods. Le Fou was apparently off somewhere getting sotted or whatever it was that single men did; oddly, Gaston wasn't jealous, nor could he remember much about himself getting drunk at the local bar. God, had he really been that immature? It was a wonder that _any_ woman would have married him.

Gaston tried to remain patient with his clumsy wife under the circumstances, but it wasn't long before he was snapping at her & rubbing his temples; after all, who in the world had to teach their own wife to cook, besides him? Faye didn't seem to mind Gaston's surly attitude too much & tried to stay ever-attentive to her husband's orders. Several dropped eggs & one small kitchen fire later, breakfast was served.

Gaston didn't know how anyone in the world could make eggs & bacon feel like chewing leather, but Faye seemed to have the talent. He was about to tease her on the matter when he looked up & saw the defeated look in his wife's eyes. Gaston did what every logical man on the planet would have done in an instant; hiding the displeasure in his eyes, Gaston called out to Faye & then asked for seconds. She seemed to light right up then & then went about getting Gaston another portion of the leftovers while Gaston stewed over what he'd just done to his stomach. Was he so whipped already that the sight of his wife unhappy sent him running to her aid?

Gaston groaned aloud at that thought & wiped the grimace on his face away when Faye returned. Gaston then convinced himself that he was only preserving his wife's youthful beauty. Yes, she was always beautiful to him, but when she smiled, everything else in the world just didn't matter. On that thought, Gaston demanded his wife move to the chair to his right & then began to eat again with her at his side. He secretly felt more assured when she was beside him. He knew better than any man that pretty women could venture off to another man if not kept in check.

Gaston also knew that Faye was undyingly loyal, but what would happen if she ever lost interest in him? There was no way that any man in town (or out of town, for that matter) would turn her down if she asked to be theirs. So Gaston would just have to be extra careful with his wife, much to his chagrin. This could be a long lifetime, he decided. Hell.

…_..._...

Aunt Sara wasn't as careful with Faye's feelings when she came downstairs to eat. She even said that the food wasn't fit for animal slop, & Gaston's wife burst into a fit of tears. She insisted that Gaston seemed pleased with breakfast, & he older woman sighed.

"Of course he said that he liked it, you daft girl," Sara told Faye with a look of impatience, "Any good husband with half of a brain would say that he likes your cooking." Faye frowned & looked down at her own plate, completely crestfallen. Gaston didn't know what to do. He knew that Sara was only trying to help his wife improve as… well, a wife, but did she have to call him out like that? Now Faye was never going to trust his opinion on her cooking.

"Monsieur Foret, I was hoping that my Faye & I could acquire some money to go into town today," Sara finally announced, "I believe I know a recipe or two that my niece could catch onto more quickly." Gaston had to agree with the woman when Faye seemed to be hopeful again. Damn it, that smile of hers was going to get him in trouble one day. After breakfast, Gaston gave Faye a small purse of coins & told her to buy herself a riding suit & two cheap dresses from town to add to her wardrobe. Faye nodded, not knowing that Gaston had just given her a test. He needed to know that his wife would be thrifty when handling his money. The amount he'd given her wasn't too much, but just enough to make him aware of his wife's ability to spend money.

**…_..._...**

"Ye' be Gaston's wife, don' ya?" the excited dress store owner said excitedly. Faye smiled & nodded at the pretty young woman, who Faye recognized from the Leaky Boot. She was one of those blond triplets that worked as bar maids. Excitedly, the woman had shaken Faye's hand & declared that Faye was the epitome of "woman", especially since she'd been able to marry the elusive bachelor Gaston.

"My name is Fauna," the girl declared excitedly as she & Faye walked around the store. Sara stood in the doorway with their cooking food, looking out at the people milling in the town street.

"Faye, how did you get Gaston to marry you?"

"He just did."

"He just.. did?"

Faye nodded & selected the dresses she wanted from the plainest available, & found herself a female riding suit. Fauna was lost in her world, apparently utterly confused by Faye's statement. But Faye didn't know how to placate the dress seller & simply bought her clothes, as well as a few sewing supplies. Fauna added up the cost & then set about her nosiness again.

"I wonder if he's still going on about marrying the prettiest girl in town," Fauna wondered aloud. Faye stared at her completely shocked.

"What do you mean by… still?" Faye asked, trying to remain aloof. With gossipy eyes, Fauna hopped onto her counter & smiled excitedly.

"Don't you know about Anabelle Tinker?" she gushed, "Well, everyone called her Belle. Well, everyone thought that she & Gaston would marry when she just strolled into town one day. You see, Belle was _very_ pretty, & before her, only one of my sisters would have qualified to be Gaston's wife. Gaston was immediately smitten, but the stupid girl always had her nose in a book & ended up running off to elope with some man. Her father moved to their location not long after." Faye listened to Fauna talk & tried not to be too disappointed.

Of course there were other women in Gaston's life. He'd already made it clear that he'd slept with many. But for some reason, the idea that he'd wanted to _marry_ another woman didn't sit well with her. & if he'd married her for her supposed beauty he went on & on about, then that meant that she no more important to him than the woman known at Belle. Faye had already convinced herself that Gaston loved her, but couldn't admit it yet. However, she wasn't very sure now.

**…_..._...**

Gaston was infuriated with his wife that evening when he came home to find out from Sara that his wife had purchased _three_ dresses, & also some lace from the dress store. He was going to wring her pretty little neck, he decided. It was high time Faye learned who was boss in this home, & that it sure as hell wasn't her. What angered him more was that their bedroom door was locked. Angrily, he pounded on the door & demanded that Faye let him in.

"Go away, Gaston!" was her reply. The man was ready to lose his mind when he stopped. Faye _never_ called him Gaston in private. She called him Jean. Just what the hell was going on? Without much thought to it, Gaston kicked hard on the bedroom door & both the door lock & deadlock tore through the doorframe, splintering wood across the floor. A man with a dark bandanna was in the process of trying to drag Faye out the bedroom window, & another was in the window frame, ready to catch her. That tore it.

Even Faye was frightened by Gaston's deafening roar as he grabbed the wrist of her captor & squeezed down hard on his grip of the blade at her throat. The man screamed when the distinct sound of bone snapping sounded & the knife was dropped. Gaston then dragged the man from Faye faster than anyone could stop him & picked him up from the back of his shirt & trousers. Unceremoniously, Gaston tossed the man out of the open bedroom window & turned his attention to the man who had a gun pulled. Well, damn.

"Let us go, you bastard," the man ordered, "You have nothing to do with this; we have strict orders to bring this woman to our boss, ye hear me?" Gaston's eyes narrowed, but at his wife who had sneakily picked up the discarded knife from earlier & approached the man from behind. When the cool blade slid before his neck, the man stopped cold & Gaston relaxed… only a bit.

"Where should I cut this time, Husband?" Faye asked in the calmest voice she could muster. Gaston couldn't help but smile as terror crept over the rouge's face. He dropped his gun & surrendered.

"T-this time?" he squeaked. Faye fought to retain composure & nodded. The man looked back at Gaston, silently pleading for mercy. However, his demeanor changed a bit when Faye's hands began to shake a bit. She was terrified out of her mind, Gaston decided, & moved in to relieve his wife of her duty to subdue the man. But not before the bastard slapped her.

It was instantaneous, quick as lightning. Before Gaston could get to the man, he'd twisted & backhanded the daylights out of Faye, knocking the poor woman to the floor. She fainted immediately, so she didn't see Gaston grabbing the man & using one arm to throw him out into the hall.

The man skidded to the stairway banister when he hit the floor, almost colliding into Sara & Le Fou, who had grown curious to the loud sounds upstairs. Immediately, Le Fou protected Sara & dragged her back downstairs before Gaston stalked up to Faye's attacker & threw him down the stairs next. The man cried in pain on the way down, & then was kicked down to the landing.

"Faye. Upstairs." Gaston ordered in a dark voice. Sara & Le Fou understood immediately before Sara ran up to the master bedroom while Le Fou stayed downstairs to try & keep Gaston from committing murder.

**…_..._...**

Faye was still on the floor when she awoke from her swoon. She looked around for Gaston, but it was her aunt gently applying a cold wash cloth to the bruise forming on her cheek. Faye grimaced & slapped the annoying thing aside.

"Where's Gaston?" Faye asked as she sat up, "A husband should always be there to comfort his wife when disaster befalls her."

"Faye, your husband is busy right now."

"What could possibly be more important to him than comforting his wife?"

"Killing the man that struck his wife."

Faye paled considerably & scrambled to her feet before she ran to the door way & dizzily made her way to the stairs. Sara frowned, but followed her niece & kept silent. She hoped that Faye could get to Gaston. She'd never seen a man so furious in her life. The look in his eyes alone could kill. & True to Sara's word, Gaston was holding the man by the front of his shirt, his large fist cocked back to punch him again.

Faye's husband was a sight now, all splattered with his victim's blood & just completely wild. His victim was beaten a bruised, & sustained many cuts from his beating. This had to stop.

"Jean, stop!" Faye ordered as she ran to her husband. Her weak grip tried desperately to remove the man's shirt from Gaston's hands to no avail. She even had to grab Gaston's bloody face just to gather his attention from the task at hand. Immediately, he grew tenser. Faye looked so frightened of him, but she had that bruise on her cheek. The warring emotions on whether to kill the bastard or free him warred in his mind.

"Jean, you are not a killer," Faye said in a low voice, "Let the law handle the rest of this… Please?" Gaston came apart at Faye's request & her attacker was dropped unceremoniously into a pathetic heap on the ground before Le Fou ran off to the police station before Gaston changed his mind. Faye & Sara, in the meantime, dragged Gaston into the kitchen & had him sit down; Sara went to the kitchenette then & began to make tea as Faye tried to calm her raging husband. He was shaking with anger still, but didn't seem like he was going to attack the writhing man in the foyer.

For the moment, Faye felt much calmer & gently wiped Gaston's face of blood before she hugged his face to her chest. The smell & feel of Faye wrapped around Gaston seemed to make him a bit more serene & he hugged her back, soothing himself just in time before the town police showed up to their home.

* * *

><p><span><em>Author's Note:<em>

_Yes, there is a point to this attack, & not some random "OMG VIOLENCE" going on. Remember? One of the attackers said that they had a boss. Chiz just got real! xD_


	18. The Aftermath

_Author's Note:_

_I WILL FINISH THIS STORY EVEN IF IT KILLS ME! That is all…_

* * *

><p>Gaston paced back &amp; forth as Faye washed herself in their bath tub. Usually, he would have pounced on the vision of beauty before him, but every time he saw that damned bruise on her cheek, rage swelled up inside him all over again. He should have killed that bastard, to hell what Faye thought of it. <em>No one<em> touched what was his, let alone dared to harm it. His very pride as a man was in crisis right now, & his promise to Faye not to kill the lowlife in town jail kept him from quelling the anger inside. Gaston _never_ broke his word; a little something he picked up after so many promises had been torn from him.

"Jean, I do wish you would calm yourself," Faye suddenly interrupted the hunter from his thoughts, "Dear Lord, you do try my patience." Gaston stopped pacing to look at Faye. She kept her face turned to hide her bruise, but other than that, she looked completely calm. Didn't she fully comprehend their situation? That man had said he had a _boss_, Gaston reminded himself as his Gaze flickered over to the boarded-up window across the room. That meant that some dirty bastard somewhere tried to have her abducted.

"Damn it, wife, you know I can't help it," Gaston growled, "What that bastard did to your face-"

"I know very well what he did to my face, Jean. Bruises tend to sting until they heal up."

Faye grew quiet after she'd interrupted her husband & finished washing her hair. After wringing the long curls out, she pulled them over her head & then quickly scrubbed off her body. She felt disgusting after having another man grabbing her; her intended captor had even wrapped an arm around her waist in the struggle. Surely that was what Gaston was angry over; those men had tainted her.

Faye splashed warm water over her face before she started crying, wincing at the feel of her bruise under her fingertips. Gaston probably wouldn't touch her until it healed, she decided. Maybe he would even give her a separate room now. The irony of her situation was both strange & crushing. This was what she deserved for pushing the idea of marrying a man she didn't know into her own mind.

Faye didn't notice that Gaston had knelt beside the bath tub until his hand reached out & ran down her unbruised cheek slowly. Faye jumped a bit & turned to Gaston, who was watching her intently now. He could see her worries & fears as if she were an open book, & it pained him to know that Faye could have been more seriously harmed on his watch. It worried him more when she pushed his big hand away & began to rinse the soap from her body. The sight of Faye's freckled body was starting to make him respond physically, & a man could take only so much temptation.

"You don't have to force yourself to touch me," Faye mumbled to his shock, "I'm homely as it is, Jean. I know you won't want to come near me until my bruise heals." Gaston felt himself begin to harden with anger. When was this daft woman going to get it into her brain that she a gorgeous & he could never NOT want her? He began to question if her parents just passed comments about how they were dissatisfied with her appearance. More & more, he began to feel that maybe they spent actual time to make her feel bad over herself. But that was going to stop now. Gaston was tired of having to assure his wife that he was really attracted to her.

Without so much as a warning, Gaston reached into the tub & pulled Faye out, ignoring her protests & squirming. She'd soaked him completely by the time he'd tossed her in bed & Gaston found himself wanting Faye more as she gathered herself to sit up & pull her damp hair out of it's messy bun; she was trying to look nonchalant, but that image was ruined when Gaston kicked off his boots & began to pull off his shirt next.

"Gaston, you don't really want to-"

"I'm going to inspect you now, wife."

Faye's eyes widened a bit at Gaston's statement. He was _what_? Gaston's pants then fell to the ground & Faye let out a soft squeak as his large weight pushed her into the bed, Gaston's hands gently smoothing over her skin, cupping her breasts, rubbing down her stomach, lightly prying her legs apart just a bit as well.

"Did he touch your breasts?" Gaston asked softly. His hands moved back to Faye's ample chest & he gently began to toy with them. Faye blushed hard & shook her head. With a nod, Gaston continued on until his hands rested over her upper waist. He repeated his question, & when Faye said no to his questions, he moved on. When she said yes, that one of the men had made contact with her, Gaston would lean in slowly & kiss the "affected area".

Purposefully, the hunter had skipped over the soft curls between Faye's legs & moved all the way down to her feet. As Faye finally relaxed when Gaston finished kissing all over the ankle one of the villains had gripped, Gaston took his moment of surprise to advantage& climbed up, pushing Faye's legs open & resting his shoulders between them. Faye let out a disgruntle groan & tried to wiggle away until Gaston leaned in & gently kissed the private spot between her legs, _his_ spot on her body. Faye let out a soft, shocked cry & Gaston smiled at his wife's reaction. She was so damned honest with her reactions, it still shook him to the core.

"Faye, did he-"

"No!"

"Are you certain?"

"Jean, I would die before-"

"- before you let someone else touch you here?"

Gaston smiled at the way Faye nodded in response, her words torn from her as he began to caress the sensitive bud that lay before him now. Oh how he just loved to make her so flustered. The hunter muttered something along the lines of "I'm going to check" before his mouth descended to tease Faye as well. The young woman beneath him cried out before she could stop herself, & Gaston continued to tease her mercilessly until she climaxed.

As Faye panted softly to catch her breath, Gaston climbed over his wife & pushed her over onto her stomach. He repeated the process of "inspecting" her before he gently pried her legs apart & pulled her hips against his. Faye blushed darkly & looked back at her husband as his length slid into her, reaching down to cling to the bed sheets. Immediately, Gaston started at a slow pace, his hand reaching down to rub over Faye's back.

"Gaston, this isn't proper at all. I don't think-"

"Faye?"

"Y-yes?"

"Shut the hell up & enjoy yourself."

Gaston let out a grunt at the end of his order & pushed deeper into his wife. She let out a soft moan & tensed up completely before finally relaxing. Gaston took advantage of his wife's decision to be more agreeable & leaned down over her, taking her more into the depths of their passion.

**…_..._...**

Faye groaned softly as she awoke in shackles, her hands & feet securely fastened to a heavy weight. Quickly, she awoke from her stupor & looked around to find her two captors off in the distance with a hooded, third person. The three spoke in hushed whispers until they noticed that Faye was awake & the man with the cloak produced a large bag of gold, shoving it to the captors before he walked over to Faye & removed his hood. The man was Lord Whitley. Cold fear settled in her stomach as Whitley smiled & began to undo his breeches.

"I was so careful with you when you were my intended, Lady Winters," Whitley states as he shucked his pants down. Faye looked away from him before he eyes caught something indecent, & she began to struggle in her chains.

"But…" he continued softly as his blade moved forward & sliced open her fine dress, "Now that you're as soiled as a used whore, I suppose I don't have to be so careful anymore." Faye let out a whimper of pain as Whitley's blade nicked her skin several times until he left her naked before him. Faye tried to cover herself with her hands & Whitley's hands moved to rest on her shoulders to gather her attention. He was naked now, unyielding. He was going to defile her body & Gaston wouldn't be able to save her.

"_WAKE UP, FAYE!"_

Faye was jarred awake to the sound of Gaston's booming voice, her eyes, focusing quickly to make out his features. Tears were spilling down her cheeks she realized, both in fear & relief. She was so afraid now that someone would take her from Gaston, & so relieved that her dream wasn't reality. Gaston seemed to know what was happening before she could explain & he scooped her up from the bed & into his arms, his strength squeezing her tight against him in an attempt to stop her fearful shaking.

"Have faith in me, Faye," Gaston ordered her after a few long seconds, "No one will ever take you from me, so you can stop letting your imagination wander to such dark places."Faye felt Gaston squeeze her tightly after she nodded & relaxed a bit more, the dream of Whitley becoming more & more insignificant as she husband quelled her worries. Gaston wasn't being sweet or understanding or even gentle with the way he was rubbing her back, but he was doing the best he could to put Faye at ease, & she could sense that.

After a few moments to think to herself, Faye smiled & snuggled into her husband fully, the shivers now completely gone.

"Jean?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know what this is called?"

"Hell, Faye; hugging?"

"No; this is cherishing, Jean. You're cherishing me right now."

A grunt of annoyance was Gaston's response to Faye's fervent speech, but Faye smiled anyway & hugged her husband even tighter. Gaston could only contain himself for a few moments before he pushed Faye back into the bed & kissed her softly. He'd never admit it to his gentle wife, but this cherishing thing felt pretty damn good.


	19. Travelling?

When Faye opened her eyes again it was around mid-morning. She was cuddled against Gaston still, which was an odd occurrence, & saw the concentrated look on his face as she awoke. He was thinking rather deeply about something, wasn't he? It took her a few more moments to realize that Gaston had used their pillows to prop himself in a slight sitting position so he could watch the fire that he'd apparently rekindled across the room. The light bite of autumn still hung in the air from the boarded window, but Faye felt completely warm wrapped up against Gaston, it was impossible to fight the urge to snuggle in to him closer.

The look of contemplation faded from Gaston's face when he noticed his wife rousing & began to stroke her shoulder & pull the blanket to her neck in an attempt to keep her comfortable. He was about to breach a rather heavy subject with her & knew if he kept Faye comfortable, she was less likely to fly off the handle. Hopefully.

"Faye," he called his wife to attention slowly, "We are traveling to your home to meet with your parents. I don't have the patience with dealing with bastards like yesterday, & honestly, I'd like to know if I have their blessing to be married to you." He saw Faye frown & wasn't quick enough to stop her from sitting up, away from his grasp. Hell, what now?

"What if they... don't approve?" Faye asked softly, "Are you going to leave me?" Gaston immediately became impatient & glared at his wife to show his exasperation. How did someone get so utterly afraid of abandonment? He notched off another punch that he was going to swing at Faye's father & growled under his breath.

"Faye, I don't care if the king himself disapproves of our marriage," he stated dryly, "But don't you think life would be easier on you if your parents at least knew you were alive?" Gaston tensed up a bit when Faye let her gaze drift to the fire, looking a bit uncertain. Damn. Another punch would be awarded to Lord Winters.

"I suppose… you are right," Faye finally conceded slowly, "Besides, Aunt Sara really should return home. It is so dangerous for an unmarried woman to live out here." Gaston bit back the retort building in his chest & tried not to remind his wife that they weren't talking about Sara. Dear God, this woman could veer off of any subject. But the fact of the matter was, she was at least deciding to cooperate. Maybe he wouldn't have to drag her home by her hair after all.

"Then it's decided," Gaston stated instead, "We shall leave tomorrow at dawn." Faye nodded with a light blush, squeaking when Gaston reached out & hauled her against him again. She cuddled into his warmth without protest before looking up at Gaston expectantly. He looked back at her just as confusedly.

"Jean, you still haven't greeted me for a good morning."

"Damn it, Faye."

"Please?"

Gaston rolled his eyes & gave Faye a kiss. It was meant to be quick & snappy, but Faye refused to let him & pressed her tongue to his before he could pull away. Damn this woman & her unknowingly vixen ways. Gaston gently pushed Faye to her back & pulled her legs open.

"J-jean?"

"Hush wife, I'm not done with _greeting_ you."

**…_..._...**

Faye was dreading the trip already as she sat on the bed, adding lace to one of her dresses. Gaston had chastised her for buying more dresses than he told her to, but Faye had quickly come to her defense when she showed Gaston the left-over money was still more than she expected to have left. Gaston was impressed, but kept the compliment to himself before leaving her to altering the clothing as he left to assemble men for a travelling caravan. Faye wondered where he was going to find such people on such short notice, but decided not to fight her husband & let him go on his way. The longer it took for him to find a group to travel with, the longer she could put off this trip.

She was shocked that Gaston had an entire crew by late afternoon. She'd underestimated how fiercely loyal many men were to him in this town, & how many either envied or looked up to him. It also helped that Gaston had a lot of money left from Faye's excursion to the market. With that, he was able to add a little extra to a normal man's travelling crew wages. Gaston tried not to laugh at Faye's disgruntled behavior when he made the announcement at supper.

Gaston, Faye, Le Fou, & Sara ate together, trying to enjoy the meal that Faye & Sara had prepared. It wasn't especially bad, but Gaston knew that Sara had a hard time teaching his wife to cook a decent meal of mutton chops & potatoes. Faye had a lot to learn before she got better at cooking.

"Are these men trustworthy?" Faye asked her husband softly, "I mean, you _do_ have a friend that calls himself Rogue; quite brazenly, really." Gaston tried to be patient with Faye's worries; after all, she was correct on some level. Many men would jump at the chance to take Gaston down & perhaps become the next strongest man in town or take Faye for himself. It did annoy him that Faye had such little faith in him, however; of course he'd only selected men that he could trust.

"Faye, let me do the worrying," Gaston stated flatly instead of huffing at his wife, "You will be safe at my side, so just relax & be our guide." Faye frowned but nodded, blushing just a bit when Gaston reached across the table & gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Her aunt smiled to herself & continued to eat. Gaston probably didn't realize that he could be so sweet in a spontaneous moment. But she figured she'd let him figure that out himself & the small group of people continued to eat, the conversation changing to several other topics as Le Fou & Faye chattered on.

Gaston watched his wife during that time & found he was feeling a bit proud of himself for marrying Faye. She was the woman he would have at his side for his entire life, the future mother of his children, & the beautiful bedmate he couldn't have even dreamed up in his wildest dreams. Lord Whitley had another thing coming if he thought that his grubby hands were going to land on a single part of Faye's body.


	20. Fireflies

_Author's Note:_

_I fail so hard at keeping this story up. Please forgive me! ;-;_

_& as a quick defense in myself, yes, Gaston was all for marriage when he was interested in Belle. But I'd be willing to bet that any guy would be reluctant to try to marry after what he went through to try & have her. Not to mention he also failed at "getting the girl," so his ego probably has a massive hole in it now; I mean, hell, he was tossed off of a cliff (I will cover something on his experience with that eventually, btw.)._

_He was in a pretty sorry state when Faye came around. xD_

* * *

><p>Once again, Gaston felt the urge to throttle his wife. How had he not noticed how fidgety &amp; impatient Faye was before now? Ever since they'd set out to Paris just before dawn, she'd been talking, moving around &amp; fiddling with something around her nonstop. How she accomplished that while riding before him on their horse, he'd never know. Gaston wanted nothing more than to throw the woman into the wagon with her aunt, but he was determined to not lose his mind &amp; let anyone know that Faye's constant squirming bothered him.<p>

But it did. Immensely so. Every time she wiggled around, her backside, only covered by a pair of snug riding breeches now, rubbed on his hips incessantly. & damn him if he didn't react physically. It was impossible. As a reaction, Gaston would reach around his wife & hold her still at the waist to keep himself from getting too excited. Faye would whine that she didn't like being constricted in mere minutes, however, & he'd have to release her & endure the torture of her soft bottom rubbing back against him again.

Thankfully, by noon, Faye had readjusted herself to a side-saddle position & fallen asleep. Holding her sleeping form up was no chore at all as long as Gaston got to watch Faye sleep. She looked so gentle & sweet when she was sleeping. No one would ever suspect what a hellion she was. Gaston smiled to himself at this thought & called a break in the afternoon to let everyone rest & eat. Faye was helped down from the horse by Scott & Rogue still drowsy from sleep, & Gaston watched with scrutiny to make sure no one's hands wandered. Rouge was whacked on the back of his head just to be safe.

When Faye, Sara, & three men of Gaston's crew settled down under the shade of a large oak tree, Gaston set out to search the perimeter with Scott. There were four men trailing them, & a rather weak lot. If they ever dared to attack, getting rid of them would be rather easy work. Until then, Gaston saw no point in calling them to attention. They thought they were hidden so well, after all. Without delay, Gaston & Scott went back to the camp where Faye & the cook were bickering over what spices to put in the boiling soup. Gaston told Faye to let Cook do his job & dragged the scowling woman back under the tree & sit against it & hold her near, & perhaps use his arms to shield the view of her from his men a bit.

He would have thrown a blanket over Faye if it were just a bit chillier. Her riding out fit was too snug & form-revealing. The woman may as well be damned naked. Silently, Gaston promised to himself that _he_ would select Faye's next riding outfit. He didn't know how a woman could be so unaware of the effect she had on men; it was very infuriating for him to deal with such an innocent woman. He didn't know how he was going to survive today with her, much less a 6 day trip.

**…_..._...**

Somehow, Gaston made it through the day without losing his mind. At his side, Faye snuggled to him in the cold night air. The blanket around them did little warm their bodies, but the warmth gathered from them both felt nice. So nice, that Gaston felt himself wanting Faye in minutes. What the hell was with his mind? As soon as Faye had strolled into his life, it was like his brain had gone on vacation & his body was wreaking havoc on his ability to control himself.

"Hey, Gaston, I think that firefly valley is nearby," Scott finally announced from the other side of the campfire. Immediately, Faye perked up from her drowsy snuggle & sat up. Gaston rolled his eyes & stood up. Damn Scott & his ability to get his wife back to her usual, hyper self. Gaston told himself that Scott was probably just trying to make Faye sleepy, but he didn't know, now that Scott had pulled this stunt. Now he was certain that the man was trying to drive him mad. He looked a little too gleeful as he handed Gaston a lantern.

Faye was totally unaware of Gaston's inner dismay & clung to him as they walked down a familiar path to the place that he & several other travelers had dubbed firefly valley. She must have been scared to walk alone with the way that she stayed so close & looked around to make sure nothing was out there to get them. With a smirk, Gaston wrapped an arm around her shoulder & they continued on to the approaching clearing.

Faye's reaction was instantaneous as they reached firefly valley. She gasped, pried herself from Gaston, & ran into the throngs of beautiful fireflies everywhere. More flocked from the long grass as Faye disturbed them by running by. Gaston but couldn't help but smile at her excitement & stomped down an area of tall grass to lay down the heavy blanket that Faye had dropped in her excitement. He was content with watching Faye as he sat on the blanket & turned off their lantern. There was no need for it while basked in the moon & firefly lights.

& damn himself, he found himself admiring her beauty again. After the long day of being irritated & teased by Faye, he was still entranced by her beauty. & who wouldn't be lured in by the sight of a woman slowly untying her long, curled hair of fire & allowing it to cascade down to her thighs. The glow of the night also made her flattering body even more so, & her green eyes glittered something fierce every time a firefly whizzed by her face. Gaston could take only so much.

"Faye," the man called after a bit. Faye stopped romping around in the long grass & turned to face her husband. He crooked his finger as a beckoning & could see her blush even in the darkness as she began to approach him. Before Faye could fully register what Gaston was doing, his hands reached up & pulled her down to him & onto the blanket. In moments, his body settled over hers a bit & he kissed her hard. Faye moaned softly under her husband & felt his hands already starting to undress her.

"Gaston, w-we're not home," Faye tried to tell her husband weakly as her riding pants were pushed down to reveal her laced bloomers. The sight of them made Gaston throw his caution into the wind & continue undressing Faye & unbuttoning her shirt. He also didn't want to respond to her until she used his real name.

"J-jean, what if-"

"I want you Faye," Gaston cut off his wife, "_Now._" Faye shut up & didn't fight her husband anymore now that she'd heard the urgency in his voice. He wanted her too badly to worry about niceties & being proper. They were going to make love here & now, under the stars, swarms of beautiful lights, & the moon.

**…_..._...**

Faye rested against Gaston as they began to relax. She's closed her eyes to enjoy his presence completely, & spent a few moments of quiet satisfaction before her mind began to wander. Gaston had been so uncontrolled when they made love this time. Faye had wanted to be gentle, slow & romantic, but he wouldn't have it. Every time Faye would try to change their pace, the hunter somehow convinced her without words to let him have his way. Maybe it was the urgency in him, or the unbearable way he knew how to tease her & make her want him to be rougher. All Faye knew was that Gaston definitely had power over her when they made love, & she didn't mind terribly.

"I love you, Jean," Faye announced softly into her husband's shoulder.

All at once, the warm afterglow of their lovemaking faded into the cold night air, & Gaston grew rigid. Faye felt confused as he stood & began to dress, ordering Faye to do the same. Faye complied, but watched her husband the whole time, wondering why he was so distant now. As a result, Gaston grew impatient with his wife & buttoned up her shirt for her; he wouldn't look Faye in the eyes as he did so.

Gaston was in utter meltdown inside his own head. He didn't know a damn thing about Faye, honestly, & she really didn't know much about him. How could she love him? This one could get to him, he realized. & the pain he'd gone through with women in the past had taught him that loving Faye was the LAST thing he should be doing. The panic of how he should handle this situation set in & he began to think of ways to get to this fanciful girl before she threw their marriage out of proportion.

**…_..._...**

The rest of the camp was asleep by the time Gaston & Faye returned. Immediately, Gaston dragged Faye to their tent & told her it was time to sleep, leaving no tone in his voice for discussion. Faye nodded silently & held back the tears of her desolation as she took off her boots & climbed onto the fluffy pallet laid out. Gaston laid down moments later, his back turned away from her. As he settled in, Faye felt it finally safe to cry.

She knew why Gaston was this way; it was because she told him that she loved him. Maybe Gaston told her all the time that she was pretty, but she knew now that he was actually repulsed. That was why the thought of someone like her being in love with him scared him so much. After all, who could love someone as homely as her? Faye's sister's words echoed in her mind as she pulled the blankets up to her cheeks & tried to sleep. But she couldn't.

Faye sat up in the blanket & scooted closer to Gaston, who was pretending to be asleep. He figured she was just coming closer to get warmer, but was shocked instead when Faye gently draped her body over his & clung tightly. He could feel her wet eyes on his neck as she took a slow, shaky breath. Hell, he'd made her cry.

"I really do love you, Jean," Faye announced her feelings once more softly. Gaston kept his eyes closed, but grunted lightly & turned over in the palette until he faced Faye & pulled her into his arms.

"I know you do, Faye," he grunted in the best tired voice her could muster. It was meant to calm Faye, but the feel of her tears soaking his chest proved otherwise. But Gaston didn't know what to do at this point. He knew Faye was earnest, but women's fickle hearts could change the object of their love at any time. His mother alone had proved that when his stepfather died. She'd gone from man to man, & swore each time that she was in love. & she wasn't the only woman that he'd seen do this.

Belle had further proved that women changed their minds all too easily. When they initially met, she WAS attracted to him. When she discovered that he didn't read, she made it clear that her feelings had changed, & that she thought she was too good for him, _&_ that she'd rather go out & explore the world. & then her mind changed again when she met a beast & fell in love. Now, the last he'd heard, the beast was an enchanted prince & Belle had borne him two children within 3 years.

Gaston resisted the urge to outright comfort his wife until she fell asleep against him, her face still smushed into his chest. Gaston pulled away a bit & stared down at the sleeping face of his wife. It was a little red from her crying & dried tears stuck to her cheeks, making Gaston sigh just a bit & reach over to their water basin & wring out the rag inside to gently wipe her cheeks clean. Faye's face relaxed a bit under his touch & Gaston couldn't help but feel more relieved as he pulled off his shirt & climbed back onto the palette. He considered sleeping nude like usual, but the last thing he needed was to wake up to Faye being hysterical again.

Faye had interrupted Gaston from his thoughts when her warm hand settled on his. He looked over to her sleeping face & let out a slow groan before he climbed into bed & pulled Faye into his arms. She fit there so perfectly, it was terrifying. Faye was so perfect for _him_, but he had no faith that she felt the same about him. She was a girl who was locked away from society until she ran away from home. She didn't _know_ what love was.

Gaston grit his teeth & forced himself to close his eyes & go to sleep. If he stayed like this all night, he'd fall off his horse in exhaustion tomorrow. He'd set Faye straight eventually, but for now, he'd worry about his own feelings.


	21. Meet the Winters'

It was all too easy to see that Faye & Gaston were having problems for the rest of the trip. Early in the morning, Faye would jump into the caravan Aunt Sara rode in & spent most of the day talking to her & Scott. Gaston kept to himself & rode ahead of the caravan. Neither really spoke to each other, & Faye would go to bed in their tent early before Gaston even got into it every night.

Gaston could feel himself slowly wearing down to his wife's silent treatment, much to his dismay. She seemed to be so sad when Sara would sit in the front of the wagon with Scott or she had to go to bed & he didn't offer to accompany her. But as long as she decided to be childish like this all because he didn't say three damn words, he would just let her torment himself. Her pretty green eyes couldn't get her way _this_ time.

Faye, on the other hand, was starting to think more & more that Gaston only wanted to visit her parents for her dowry. The cad might even escape with it during the night & abandon her at her parents' estate. She hadn't meant to ignore Gaston, but the first day she ran off was to give her husband some space; she'd assumed that he'd realized that he loved her during the day & then come to her. But he didn't. He just got angry & now he ignored her just as much as he assumed she was ignoring him.

Not to mention, she seemed to be getting seasick more often as they neared Paris. Every morning, evening, & break in between, Faye found herself throwing up her last meal. The slow sway of the wagon was going to kill her. But thankfully, 6 days later, the caravan arrived in Paris. Sara instructed Gaston where the family estate was. It was a large home just outside of the city, & it didn't take Gaston long to realize that it was the home of Judge Winters.

He was a highly influential politician in France at the moment, & it shocked him a bit that Faye would be his daughter. She had been hidden rather well, for he'd only heard of his other two daughters before. They were both rather pretty & married off early in their lives. Gaston wanted to punch the man even more, but kept himself in check as his caravan stopped just before the property line & he rode over to Faye's wagon. He dragged her onto his horse without a word & they headed onto the property, following a neat shelled road all the way to the Winters Estate.

Faye's parents would never know that they were fighting, Gaston decided as his hand wrapped around Faye's waist. He felt her stomach churn under his touch & her hands clung to his leather coat lightly, & that only hardened his resolve to protect the woman from her own family. No one had ever believed in Faye before, & certainly not this sorry lot.

**…_..._...**

It was an awkward moment to meet Lord & Lady Winters. As the caravan pulled to the mansion, a breathtakingly beautiful blond woman ran through the large front doors & scurried over to Gaston & Faye's horse. Before Gaston had even lowered his wife's feet to the ground, her arms were wrapped tightly around Faye & she was sobbing into Faye's shoulder. A rather stout but attractive older man came outside & watched the two women with stoic gaze as servants milled out to help the caravan unload themselves & their things in a rather chilling display of perfect service. Gaston could only guess that the man & woman were Faye's parents.

"Thank you so much, good sir," the blond woman finally announced, "You will be greatly rewarded for returning our dear girl." She pulled out a dainty kerchief & began to dab her eyes as she reached out & squeezed Faye's hand tight. Gaston jumped off of his horse & quirked an eyebrow at Faye; _she_ was going to announce to her parents of their union. But apparently, Faye's wedding ring wasn't as invisible to him as it was to her mother.

"Oh Cecilia, stop blubbering," he commanded as he strode down the front steps; he completely ignored Sara as she & Scott strode by to go into the mansion, "The man is her husband, not a traveler that dragged her home." The blond woman's eyes widened to Faye & Gaston's wife nodded, her cheeks almost as red as her hair. Cecilia beamed happily & hugged her daughter again, clasping her hands together in a romantic gesture that reminded Gaston all too much of Faye. He couldn't stop the urge to pull her to him then & wrap his arm around her shoulder. He saw something flicker in Judge Winters' eyes for a moment as he stopped next to Cecilia & looked at his daughter. The scrutiny in his gaze had intensified so much that Faye averted her gaze to the ground & leaned a little closer to Gaston.

Then, without a word, Judge Winters turned on his heel & headed on his way to the mansion Cecilia in tow. Without a word, Gaston leaned in & kissed Faye softly before they followed. Much of her tension seemed to drain instantly as his increased. He didn't like the aftertaste of bile in her mouth; had she been so nervous that she threw up earlier, or was she sick? & why didn't she tell him? He was going to have to have a talk with Faye when they were finally alone later. No matter how angry she got with him, there was no reason for her to hide her condition of health from him.

"Well, I'm sure that the two of you are feeling tired," Cecilia announced at the foot of the stairs, "Madeline, take these two to their rooms so they might bathe & refresh themselves. We shall all meet at lunch, Faye dear. Please, take a nap if you're feeling too exhausted."

"Of course, Mother," Faye said with a soft smile. She politely curtsied before she & Gaston were led up the stairs to where they would be staying. Gaston was shocked to find that they were indeed put in two different rooms, although there was a joining door in the middle of them. Faye went into her own room & locked the door, while Gaston did the same. He waited a few minutes in his room before going to the joining door & walking in. Faye was undressing near a prepared bath, & with great difficulty. Gaston sighed & walked behind his wife, pulling her dress loose in moments. She smiled back at him lightly & then continued to undress.

Gaston frowned lightly at the sight of her body as her chemise fell to the floor; she looked like she wasn't eating at all, & it was all too obvious that she'd dropped weight. Gaston turned his wife to face him with a hard expression in his eyes. She was crying.

"I'm sorry… for saying it," Faye announced softly, "I didn't know that saying it would upset you so…." She wrung her hands together as if they were old rags & Gaston sighed softly. She hadn't been mad at him this whole time, just afraid to confront him after _he_ grew angry with her. He felt like such an ogre now.

"Faye, I'm not upset over that," Gaston snapped, "Damn it Faye. Tell me what's been going on with you. Your breath tasted of bile & you look like you haven't eaten since the beginning of our trip." Faye frowned & sighed, turning from her husband to pin up her hair & climb into the warm water tub in her room.

"I just got a little sick on the way here," Faye admitted softly, "The sway of the wagon made me constantly queasy." Gaston sighed & nodded, crouching down next to Faye. She looked up at him as his hand caressed her cheek & tried not to apologize again for telling him of her feelings. She had no reason to apologize, but now it felt like there was a growing rift between them.

"Faye, I'm going to speak to your father," Gaston finally announced to his bathing wife, "You stay here & rest for a while, understood? & I'd better see you eating at lunch, understand?" Faye nodded meekly & blushed when Gaston leaned in & kissed her a bit more roughly than earlier before he stood & left to his room & then out into the hall. Faye rested back in the tub & listened until her husband's footsteps faded away to get up & dress in a robe. If he was going to talk to her father, she was going talk to Sara.

* * *

><p><span><em>Author's Note:<em>

_This chapter is soooooo crappy. I was so excited to start getting into the fun stuffs that I almost skipped right ahead. But yeah. I can't exactly do that. lol_


	22. The Building Confusion

Aunt Sara was sitting in the salon with Scott when Faye found her, & with a smile, Faye thanked Scott very much for protecting her aunt during & even after their trip. Scott gave a shy smile to Faye & took off his hat to tell her she was welcome before he exited the room in search of his sleeping quarters for the evening. Aunt Sara stayed in her seat & sipped her tea as Faye approached, watching the girl with a gentle smile as she sat on the settee across from her & fidgeted nervously in place.

"Out with it, Girl, we're all alone right now… for the moment," Sara finally announced with a more stern tone. She was no blind fool; Faye had wanted to talk to her for the past five days, but there was never any time that they could get real privacy. Now was a good time, if ever. Faye nodded to her aunt's request & sat up a little straighter.

"I told him I loved him, Aunt Sara."

"&…?"

"He ran away completely," Faye announced in dismay, "You see, we had just finished… you know. & after I said those three little words, he utterly grew bitter on me & demanded that we return to camp. He didn't even kiss me & tell me that I pleased him." Sara watched her niece thoughtfully & continued to sip her tea in silence. So _that_ was why the girl was an emotional wreck recently. She'd been considering maybe pregnancy with all of the retching she'd been doing on breaks along the trip, but any fool could see that Faye wasn't gaining a single pound, nor did she have the glow. & perhaps that was best if Faye & Gaston were currently at odds. Perhaps she'd invite one of Faye's friends over in addition to her next speech. Until Faye became more confident in herself, she was going to need a more stable support system; especially during a stay at the Winters Estate.

"Faye, those three little words you say can rattle any man, in both a good & bad way," Sara announced softly, "Besides, did you give him words of praise also?" Faye slumped her shoulders & shook her head in dismay, apparently feeling as though she'd let down her husband. Sara leaned in a bit closer to her niece & patted her hand with a gentle smile. Faye really was too sweet sometimes. It made Sara want to protect the girl all the more.

"Faye, just give your husband some time," Sara announced to the girl, "I'm sure that-"

Sara's comforting words were cut short by a lour roar followed by the sound of a thunderous crash. Faye jumped from her seat in shock, & before Sara could stop her, the young woman rushed towards the source of the noises. But nothing could have prepared the young woman for the sight of her father clutching a bruised cheek, & Gaston standing before him with clenched fists & a murderous glare. Her mother was sitting on the settee, thoroughly horrified. No one seemed to notice Faye as she walked into the parlor, & she slowly approached her husband.

"Gaston, what is-"

"How can you call yourself parents of all you've ever done is hide Faye from the world?" Gaston's voice boomed loudly. Faye stopped walking & watched him in shock.

"Do you realize that Faye really thinks that she's ugly?" Gaston continued as Lord Winters brushed off his coat & glared at Gaston, "She's under the impression that any woman who isn't blonde & blue-eyed is utterly unattractive!"

"We never taught her such a thing!" Faye's mother interjected with a scowl, "& I'll have you know, the reason we ever 'hid' our daughter was for her own protection! A small-town man such as yourself could never understand how cruel the public can be to such an innocent & eccentric young woman!" Gaston turned to direct his annoyance towards Lady Winters, but forced himself to calm down when he saw Faye. She looked so confused & sad that he & her parents weren't getting along. With a long sigh, Gaston decided to drop the fight with his in-laws for the moment & made his way to Faye, dragging her out of the parlor by the hand.

Faye didn't protest or fight Gaston as he led her back to their rooms, her mind reeling. Why did Gaston think that her parents would purposefully sabotage her? Besides, there was no way that could be true… right?

**…_..._...**

Faye stared after Gaston quietly as he led her to her bed, sighing lightly as he dragged her to it & carried her onto it. He tucked her in & kissed her forehead ordering the young woman to take a nap like he'd previously ordered much to her dismay.

"Are you going to fight with Momma & Papa again?" Faye asked her husband with a sad expression. Gaston sighed & shook his head at the absurdity of everything he put up with his wife. What did it matter if he fought with them or not? He was actually being a lot kinder than he'd planned to be. After all, he'd planned to already have Lord Winters in a messy beaten pulp by now, hadn't he?

"Faye, I'm not going fight anyone right now," Gaston replied, not sure if he was telling the truth just yet, "Just get some sleep & we'll talk more later on." Faye frowned up at Gaston, but eventually relented & nodded. Fighting him on the matter would accomplish nothing in the end. Gaston gave his wife a quick, curt nod in return & stood, kissing her cheek.

"Sleep well, wife," Gaston commanded gruffly, "I will awaken you at lunch." He was out of the room before Faye could even ask him to stay with her. With a sad sight, Faye turned onto her side & curled up, closing her eyes & snuggling in her bed. Hopefully, she could get everything sorted out later.

* * *

><p><span><em>Author's Note:<em>

_Get ready for the bomb I'm gonna drop next chapter. Muahahahahahaaaa! xD_


	23. Really Meaning It

Gaston felt like hacking his own head off by the end of the evening. Although the Lord & Lady Winters announced to everyone present that they approved of a union between Faye & himself, he knew that it was only because Faye's mother was determined to see her daughter out of hiding… well, that & the Winters Estate would probably be in absolute scandal if one of the daughters of the great judge were found out to have run off to elope. Faye, of course, didn't see under her parents' approval & was delighted that her mother & father wouldn't scorn her new husband.

Of course, the Lord & Lady insisted upon another wedding for the two. They would send for Gaston's immediate family in the morning, & when she arrived, a wedding held by the Winters' would take place. As much as Gaston wanted to decline, he decided to give in without a fight. His ego denied him the ability to admit it, but in truth, he felt bad for making Faye have such a small wedding because he'd been so cheap. Now she could have something more to what little girls dreamed about as a child, perhaps even better.

After the issue of another wedding was settled, Gaston made sure that his wife ate something at dinner, not pleased with the amount she'd eaten until she completely finished her dessert. She complained fiercely that she was going to be sick, & much to Sara & her mother's amusement, both Gaston & Lord Winters announced that they would "tan her backside" if she allowed herself to get sick. An uneasy silence was broken by the two women's laughter & the rest of the evening became less tense.

**…_..._...**

Gaston let out a low grunt as he tossed himself into his bed & rested into the fluffy coverlet on top. He was tired, annoyed, & in all honesty, just a bit lonely. Damn it all, he'd promised himself & Faye during dinner that he would abide by her parents' rules. & that meant that he was sleeping alone tonight. These fancy types apparently had issues with intimacy, & so husband & wife slept in separate, adjoining rooms. The only time at night where someone would come over is when the husband wanted to have sex.

Which Gaston wanted to. Badly. But he wasn't such a cad to try & force his tired & still a bit sickly wife into making love just because he was the man in their relationship. It wouldn't be any fun unless she was willing. Gaston let out a groan of pain & annoyance as images of his wife's "willingness" came to mind, causing him to want her more. Lord, he felt trained & whipped by a woman who didn't even know how alluring she was. & he probably was whipped, with the way he unconsciously bent to her ways.

This put Gaston in a sour mood as he climbed out of bed & undressed to sleep. He lazily tossed his clothes onto a chair just a few feet away & then kindled the fireplace before climbing into bed. His curiosity to what Faye was doing in her own room killed him. He almost went into her room to see if she needed help with her own fireplace, but the hunter quickly dismissed the notion as he settled into the covers. Faye had servants in this house for the purpose of helping her, so his help wouldn't be needed. Besides, even she would see that he only wanted an excuse to check in on her.

In midthought, Gaston almost didn't notice the sound of the adjoining room slowly opening before Faye quietly came into the room & reclosed the door. She was breath-taking in the dim glow of fire, dressed in an utterly feminine, long nightgown & braided hair that was pulled over her shoulder. Gaston sat up just a bit in his bed as he noticed there was no light coming from Faye's room at all as she scurried over to the side of his bed.

"Do you need me to start your fire?" Gaston asked, gaining a surprised look from Faye, which confused him in return.

"Do you wish me to sleep in a different room tonight?" Faye asked softly, growing embarrassed as she tucked some of her unruly bangs behind her ear, "I-I'm sorry, I just assumed-"

"Faye?"

"Yes, Jean?"

"Shut up."

Gaston resisted the urge to smile as he scooped his arm around Faye's waist & hauled her into bed with him, pulling her cold body under the sheets with him. He snuggled her until her shaking ceased & pulled the fluffy coverlet around them as Faye rested contently against him. He was thoroughly confused that she came to him despite the rules of her wealthy background, but wasn't complaining in the slightest.

"Faye, why did you decide to come to me?" Gaston asked aloud, more to himself than Faye. He'd assumed that she already fell asleep until she pulled back just a bit with adorably pink cheeks & a gentle smile.

"This is where I belong," Faye announced to her husband softly, "You said so yourself."

Gaston was arrogantly pleased by Faye's statement. Immensely so. The hunter allowed himself to smile a bit at Faye as he reached around her & pulled her closer to him, leaning in just so & kissing her forehead. Damn it all, he loved his wife. There was no denying it as he felt the pride of having her coursing through him at this moment. So what if she didn't know what real love was yet? He'd just have to teach her how & be patient.

"I love you, Jean," Faye mumbled softly, as if she'd read Gaston's mind. Gaston tried not to stiffen as he heard his wife speaking & held her face against his chest, just in case he was scowling. Which he probably was.

"Faye, don't say that until you mean it," Gaston ordered the young woman gruffly.

"But I do!" was the instant reply Gaston received. Faye was struggling to break free now, & Gaston eventually relented. Faye sat up in the bed & stared down at Gaston. She looked genuinely hurt, but for once, she wasn't backing down from a challenge. Gaston couldn't help but feel a little proud of her courage. Reaching up, Gaston placed his hand on Faye's cheek, relieved when she leaned into the touch & placed her own hand over his. She never ceased to amaze him; angry as she was, she didn't shy away from giving him her affection. With a sigh, the hunter grasped Faye's hand & pulled it to his mouth. He gave it a quick kiss & smiled at his wife before reaching up & pulling her back down against him.

"Get yourself some rest, Faye," Gaston ordered his wife sternly as he pulled her closer & closed his eyes. Faye almost began to argue her husband's decision, but ultimately gave in & rested against Gaston, passing out against him tiredly. She'd have to chastise him about not returning her fervent declaration later on.

**…_..._...**

By the time Gaston awoke the next morning, Faye had apparently left & headed downstairs. For a moment, he was rather confused & worried, but after a bit of time, the hunter realized what was going on & pulled himself out of bed, getting dressed for the day. He wondered to himself why Faye was already awake, but didn't caution himself too much. She was probably downstairs, entertaining these "friends" that Sara mentioned in passing the day before. Apparently, there was one particular friend that had inspired Faye so much, that she was the main reason the young woman even ran off. Gaston was actually interested to meet someone who could inspire Faye so much.

Minutes after he'd awoken, Gaston was dressed & shaved for the day. He left his room & proceeded to head to the salon, wondering if Faye was already there. She was alright, he could hear her excited voice from outside & smiles, hearing a few other feminine voices that accompanied hers. With a smile on his mouth, Gaston opened the door to greet his wife & her friends. Immediately, the hunter's stomach hollowed & he stared in open disbelief at the scene before him. Faye & Sara were sitting across from a very beautiful brunet who stopped socializing to stare back at Gaston with equal confusion.

That brunet beauty was Belle.

* * *

><p><span><em>Author's Note:<em>

_BAM! xD_


	24. No Competition

_Author's Note:_

_I just want to make a quick shout-out to one of the people who recently commented on my story & said I make Gaston OOC. To that, I just have to say "what? O_o;"._

_Really people, I had no idea that he had a set character. Yeah, Gaston had a vital role in the movie, but honestly. The only scenes he was in were responses to Belle & the like. Faye is a different woman completely, so of course he's not going to "give her the pimp hand" or anything like that; in fact, while Gaston was an aggressive character, I don't remember him ever raising a hand to Belle either, not even when he was in full on ALL CAPS RAGE. & I'm pretty sure I stated early on in the story that Gaston never wanted to make his wife fear him in any way. Hitting her would result in fear._

_As for Faye's character, she has flaws. Tons. Let's see; naiveté, idealism, complete lack of self-confidence, her insecurities over both her & Gaston's feelings, can't cook (actually, she has a talent of making food REALLY bad, so that may not count), totally helpless, & she cares way too much about what others think of her. In fact, I'm afraid to add anymore flaws to Faye because in my eyes, Faye's beauty & efforts to make her devotion to Gaston the top priority in her life to be the only strong points she has going for herself so far. I don't know about you guys, but crying damsels in distress have to be the most flawed characters I can possibly think of._

_& sorry if you get mad at me putting you on blast anyone out there, but I can't defend myself discreetly if you don't have an account on this site & comment anyway. But yeah, no anger or ill-will here, I'm just trying to get my point out there cuz apparently my shortcomings as a writer screw up my intentions sometimes. xD_

* * *

><p>For the first time in a long while, Gaston felt as if he simply couldn't breathe. Here in the Winters' Estate, drinking tea &amp; chatting with his wife was Belle, the first woman he'd pursued for marriage. In all attempts to make himself calm a bit, Gaston noted that Belle seemed to be just as shocked, to the point that even Faye, you was happily chattering with Sara noticed &amp; looked at the two of them in her own brand of confusion.<p>

"Is something the matter?" Faye asked the two of them, jarring both out of their uncomfortable stare-down. Belle was the first to react & smiled to Faye, shaking her head & bringing her tea to her lips & taking a small sip.

"It's nothing," Belle responded to Faye, "It's just, I didn't know that the man you chose was someone I knew so well. You see, I knew Gaston when we used to live in the same village." Belle thought she was discreet enough. Apparently not, for she had no idea that Faye knew of Annabelle Tinker. Though her last name _was_ different, the name Annabelle was uncommon in rural parts of France, & there was certainly no way that there would be two women named Belle in the small town that Gaston was from, & they certainly didn't have the same kind of wacky father. Faye felt like an idiot because she didn't figure out such a simple puzzle much sooner.

With a characteristic clumsiness, Faye stood abruptly with a forced smile, almost spilling her tea everywhere as her hands shook & clattered the fine dishes lightly. She didn't dare say a word to Gaston or Belle as she quickly rushed out of the salon & into the gardens, & didn't dare to look back to see if Gaston had bothered to follow her. & why should he? Belle was _much_ prettier than she was, & the fact that Faye was a rusty had nothing to do with it. Belle was one of the rare women in the world whom had grown more graceful & beautiful as a mother & more matured woman. Her young features had softened to something more gentle & warm, while the grips of youth had yet to release Faye into a full woman. Belle was more curvy, more alluring, just more _woman._ Less-developed women like Faye simply couldn't compete on a sensual level.

Faye didn't realize how fast she was running until she found herself resting against a tree just on the outer edge of the gardens, her heartbeat pounding in her chest as she fought the urge to swoon & caught her breath. Within moments of her rest, however, thudding footsteps sounded behind Faye & she turned around to see Gaston coming to her with a great speed. Quickly, he scooped Faye up & threw her over his shoulder before he began to hike back to the house. Faye cried out & pounded on the hunter's back to no avail, & eventually gave in & hung uselessly over Gaston's shoulder until he kicked his door open & deposited Faye onto his bed. The door was kicked back shut & locked as Faye struggled to sit back up.

"Where the hell do you get off thinking you can just run like that?" Gaston asked his wife in an alarmingly high tone. Faye winced & kept her gaze from Gaston's as she tried to sort out what she should say. Gaston quickly grew impatient with his wife & plopped down on the bed next to his wife, who seemed to be deeply interested in the design on his carpet.

"Why did you run, Faye?" Gaston asked, in a lower, but equally gruff voice. Faye bit her lower lip & continued to stare at the floor.

"I can't compete with her…" Faye finally admitted aloud, "Belle is so much prettier than me. I just don't see how you could settle like you are." Faye looked up to her husband, confused by the shocked look on his face. He looked as if she were a dead woman haunting him.

"Faye, why do you think you need to compare yourself to anyone else?" Gaston finally asked, "If I really wanted another woman like Belle, I would have went out & find one." He rubbed his face in an effort not to throttle Faye & heard her let out a shaky sigh. In all honesty, Gaston didn't blame his wife for having trust issues, but this had to stop of they were ever going to get along.

"You're going to get tired of me," Faye announced with a final tone. Gaston looked up to make a comment that he would if she kept up her attitude, but the look of defeat on Faye's face totally destroyed that sentence. Damn it, she made him feel so helpless like this, so utterly useless. With tangible awkwardness, Gaston reached over & forcefully pulled Faye into his arms, completely ignoring a few weak punches she slammed against his chest before Faye calmed & melted into him lazily. Gaston sighed & pet Faye's hair as she continued to calm down.

"I'm not going to get tired of you," Gaston mumbled into his wife's hair, "Stop deluding yourself & relax." Whether Faye agreed or not, she remained quiet & continued to rest against her husband until he finally told her it was time to go downstairs for lunch. Hopefully, Belle had left for home by now.

**…_..._...**

Gaston had no such luck, of course. When Faye & Gaston reached the dining room, Belle was seated between Lady Winters & Sara, the three women chatting about possible plans for Faye's "official wedding". Belle seemed to not be worried about the encounter earlier, but her hands shook slightly anyway. Faye just felt like running away again. Gaston was prepared, however, & kept a solid grip on Faye's arm as she sat down next to him at the table. Either no one noticed Gaston's actions, or didn't care.

"Faye, I just want to apologize for earlier," Belle announced softly, "In all honesty, I had no idea that I'd know your husband already." Faye smiled lightly & nodded, mostly because she couldn't trust herself to talk. She would just die if she admitted that she felt so inferior to Belle.

"So Faye," Lady Winters' finally interjected to lighten the mood of the room, "Did you ever find out any information about your friend while on your travels?" Faye sighed & shook her head, thinking of the girl Victoria, whom she'd been searching for on top of looking for a husband. Victoria had been such a good friend to Faye before she disappeared, & so well liked; even more importantly. She was also Lord Whitley's last fiancée. The thought of Victoria's possible fate shook Faye deeply. Was there a single man on this planet that she could trust?

Suddenly, Faye came to the conclusion that she couldn't live her own life anymore. It was too confusing, & her heart hurt too much. She needed to run away again, this time from everything. She'd go to a new country, hide somewhere in a rural place that no one would ever find. She just couldn't take anymore; a sheltered girl like her wasn't accustomed to having so many worries. With a sudden motion, Faye announced that she needed a nap & excused herself from the table. Gaston was annoyed with his wife but continued to eat, deciding that maybe he should give her a bit of time to recollect herself & realize just how silly she was being over her fears that he would ever tire of her.

**…_..._...**

Once in her room, Faye began to pack many of her essentials in a large satchel, not really paying attention to the butler Niles as he came in, asking whatever was the matter. Now dressed in her riding clothes & her hair tied in a tight braid, Faye stayed quiet as tears ran down her cheeks. She was tired of explaining herself to people for the day & Niles realized that quickly before rushing down to fetch Gaston & her family.

"I must speak to you at once in the foyer, Mi'lord. It is a most important matter," Niles announced to Gaston as he entered the dining room in a rush. Gaston barely acknowledged the man & sighed.

"Not now, Niles," Gaston responded, his tone weary, "We can talk later on."

"Perhaps you didn't hear me," Niles countered, "There is a problem that must be resolved immediately. It concerns Lady Faye."

Gaston wasn't at all surprised. "What is she doing now, throwing a tantrum in her room?"

"Mi'lord, this isn't the time for jests," the butler snapped impatiently.

"Do I look like I'm jesting, Niles?"

The butler folded his arms across his chest. "Lady Faye is throwing a very specific tantrum at the moment," he announced to the thick-headed hunter, "She's leaving."

That proclamation got just the reaction Niles was hoping for. He moved out of Gaston's way when the man bounded to his feet, and nodded with satisfaction when he tore from the room & roared, _"THE HELL SHE IS!"_


	25. It Begins

_Author's Note:_

_I offer no excuses for this late update, but please enjoy & review. I missed you guys!_

* * *

><p>Gaston ascended the stairs two at a time. His heart was pounding, his plams were sweaty, &amp; his mind raced as he made his way to Faye's room. The thought of her leaving him was completely unthinkable, &amp; for the first time in his life, he was in a true panic. He didn't like the feeling at all. Damn Faye &amp; the invisible leash she'd attached to him.<p>

As soon as he threw the door open to her bedroom, he saw her. The panic left in a rush & Gaston slammed the door shut behind him and leaned against it. He took a deep breath to try to calm himself, although he knew that it wouldn't work one bit. Faye was pretending he wasn't there & stood by the side of her bed, folding a gown. Her satchel was open and nearly filled to the top.

"You might as well quit packing," Gaston announced, amazed that his voice sounded so forceful, "You aren't going anywhere."

Faye steeled herself for a fight & turned to confront her husband. She was determined to make him see her side of everything, but when she caught Gaston's expression, her heart fell to her stomach and she couldn't remember what she wanted to say to him. He was so openly furious, the muscle in the side of his jaw flexed. She stared at it in fascination while she tried to find her courage again.

"I'm never going to let you leave me, Faye," Gaston continued, "Never. Do you hear me?"

Faye was pretty sure everyone in the manor could hear her furious husband. Her ears even rang from his roar. It took all her strength to stand up to him as she slowly shook her head & closed her traveling satchel.

"You're absolutely certain I would leave you, aren't you, Faye?"

"Of course."

Faye replied to Gaston with such ready candor that he wasn't certain how to proceed. Moments later, he gave up trying to reason with her, guessing it would do his cause little good & decided he'd have to wait and find another way around her shields. Gaston suddenly wanted to go downstairs and kill both of Faye's parents, but he sighed instead & readied to himself to talk again. He couldn't undo Faye's painful past, he could only give her a more secure future.

"Faye, I would never..." Gaston stopped himself, then said, "Very well, wife. You may leave me whenever you want."

Faye's eyes widened in fear & sadness over that announcement. She looked like she was going to start weeping on him; in all actuality, he was shocked that she wasn't already crying.

Gaston felt like an ogre, but he had a point to make. "Any time you want to leave, do so."

Faye turned her gaze to her hands on the satchel & nodded. "Thank you..."

"You're welcome," Gaston drawled,pulling himself from resting against the door. He walked over to her, pulled her to her to face him, then used her chin to tilt her head up.

"Just one other little detail."

"Yes?"

"Every time you leave, I'm going to come after you. There isn't any place you can hide, Faye. I'll find you and drag you back here. This is where you belong."

Faye tried to push Gaston's hand away from her chin. "You'd never find me," she assured him with a shakey whisper, "I will find a way to escape."

Gaston could hear the panic in her voice & kept his anger in check, leaning down to kiss her in an attempt to soothe some of her fears. He missed her mouth completely when she jerked away from him, & then captured her lips by cupping the sides of her face and holding her still against him. Once her resistance caved, Gaston pulled her tighter against him, he deepened the kiss & growled low in his throat. Faye shivered, reacting to the raw act of possession.

"You will never escape me, wife," he told her again after he'd lifted his head away from her, "You're stuck with me at least until the day you die. I haven't decided if you're allowed off on your own in God's domain."

Faye promptly burst into tears again, & Gaston rolled his eyes, gently running his hand over her head.

"Are you going to do that every damned time I talk to you?" he demanded. He was more amused than exasperated with her, but honestly, the girl did have quite a many tears to spare. She was going to die of dehydration at this point.

"You don't understand yet," Faye whispered as she rubbed her eyes with the sleeve of her dress.

"What don't I understand, wife?" Gaston asked, his voice filled with as much tenderness as he could muster.

"You don't understand what I am!"

Gaston let out another sigh & took hold of her hand, dragging her out of her room. They were halfway down the stairs when he finally answered her. "I understand, all right, Faye. You're mine. Not a damn thing will change that."

"Please, no blasphemies, Jean," she asked his back shakily. Gaston smiled lightly & gently squeezed her hand. He paused at the door to the dining room, finally letting go of her hand so it fell limply at her side.

"If you try to move away from me while we're in there, I swear to God I'll embarrass the hell out of you. Understood, wife?"  
>"Jean-"<br>"I'm serious, Faye."

Faye looked down at her hands & Gaston moved closer, gently dabbing her eyes dry with a tenderness that even shocked him. Once he was certain that his wife didn't look like she'd been drying for days in a row, he hooked her arm in his & pulled her into the dining room.

Like a coddling new mother, Lady Winters immediately had Jiles bring Faye her favorite dessert. Gaston resisted the urge to chastise the woman, but supposed in a way that her actions were telling; she reacted to Faye's tantrums in a silly way, but how else should a parent treat their child they hid away for so long? Faye was probably used to being spoiled when something bad happened to her.

"So, are we all decided on this Sunday as the official wedding?" Lord Winters asked after a few awkward, silent minutes of everyone eating silently. Faye turned red & Gaston kept himself from reacting violently. Instead, he put down his fork & leaned back in his chair.

"Faye & I would be delighted to go along with that plan," Gaston finally announced, "Thank you for the consideration. If I stay away from my home too long, it will probably be filled with too much dust to bear." The table laughed together lightly in a forced moment of amusement & Faye blushed again, but more out of embarrassment that time. The fact that she couldn't even properly keep up a house was too unbearable for her. Why did she have to go & marry Gaston on impulse? Was being in an arranged marriage so horrible?

Before Faye could dwell too long on her predicament, Gaston reached down & firmly grasped her hand in his, squeezing ever so lightly. She looked to him & remained silent, everyone else in the room too busy to notice the two in their short staring contest. The battle of the wills between husband & wife was about to begin.


	26. Preparing

_Author's Note:_

_I'm such a deadbeat writer._

_Also,this is a fill-in chapter: please don't hate me._

* * *

><p>"Stop squirming Faye, you're being too willful!"<p>

Even as Lady Winters pleaded with her daughter to calm herself, Faye struggled & tried to escape her mother's grasp. The tailor at her feet was working quickly to tie together a lace trimming to the fluffy monster that completely engulfed her. Faye just wanted to rip off the horrible gown & wear her original wedding dress.

"Why can't I wear the dress my husband bought me," Faye huffed disobediently. Lady Winters rolled her eyes once more & released Faye for the moment.

"Faye, that plain old dress is nothing a lady such as yourself should be wearing on her wedding day," she sighed, "Besides, it is your father's job to fund the wedding. Not Monsieur Gaston's." Faye sighed & crossed her arms at her mother's words. She did have a point. But now, Faye's public wedding was going to be another public spectacle for her father to show off his wealth to the guests. It was annoying, really.

"Can I at least wear my own veil?" Faye finally asked her mother, "It's such a pretty lace." Lady Winters sighed, finally relenting after Faye said that the veil could be altered. In the back of her mind, the woman wondered when Faye became such a difficult person, & if Gaston had anything to do with it.

**..._..._...**

Gaston growled under his breath as he clutched the ring box in his hand tightly, waiting for Faye to return to her room for the evening. He knew that they both had to keep up appearances, but did Faye's father really have to insist that they both take off their rings until the wedding date? He didn't like having his precious wife's finger left unprotected for the next few days. It made his skin crawl beyond compare.

A knock on the door roused him from his thoughts & Lord Winters walked in for a moment, a look of all-business in his eyes. Gaston put down his rings, looking at the man with his full attention. This was an unexpected visit indeed.

"Is there something you need, Sir?" Gaston asked. The man stroked his chin for a moment before walking a bit closer to Gaston & reaching into his pocket & producing a roll of paper. Gaston looked at the man a bit confusely before opening it up & reading the contents.

"This is..."

"A contract, Monsieur," Winters said in a low voice, "It's an offer to work with my importing company at the docks of Paris. One of my men is retiring, & I'm not getting any younger. I need someone to take over them permanently." Gaston looked at the contract, his skin bristling. He wanted nothing to do with corporations.

"I don't believe this will be necessary," Gaston said in a curt tone, "But thank you."

"Just keep the contract," the old man said dismissively, "You have two weeks until I fill the position. Until then, please try to consider it. Life would be much easier on you & Faye if you didn't rely on being a hunter." Gaston held back a nasty retort as Winters made his exit without another word. Of course he didn't want to take over anything for his father-in-law. He just wanted to get home, back to his hunting & quiet village, & finally be Faye's husband. Maybe they should even have a few kids to make things more official.

**..._..._...**

"Jean?" Faye suddenly asked from the door, rousing Gaston from his angry contemplation. With a low grunt, the hunter placed the ring box on his desk & stood up, walking over to Faye. Without a word he grabbed her & pulled her in a possessive hug against him, rubbing his face into the top of her head.

"Is something wrong?" he heard the young woman ask in a breathless whisper. Gaston held back a smile & gently grasped her hair by the scalp before he leaned down & gave her a kiss. Faye let out a low moan & tensed up, unprepared for the unabashed show of possession her husband was performing. What else could she do but enjoy herself.

"Faye, I can't wait to take you home," Gaston said in a low voice as they parted. Faye's face grew hot & red, & for a few moments, she forgot that she was supposed to be coming up with a way to escape Gaston. It was so hard to be logical around him. It was so hard to be anything but awed by him.

"I'm not allowed to wear my original wedding dress," Faye finally said with a small pout. Gaston nodded absently at his wife's words & gently rubbed her shoulders in an attempt to soothe her as he gently herded her to bed. He didn't want to talk about the wedding, or her skewed ideas of love, he just wanted to drag her to bed & make her his, like he'd already done several times over. They could do some fighting later.

"Jean, I don't want to do this..." Faye mumbled, "We should wait until... you know." Gaston rolled his eyes, scooping up his bride & depositing her on the bed.

"Damn it, Faye."

"Please?"

Gaston let out a grunt before he sighed & laid himself down next to Faye, rubbing his face into the bed cover. What did he have to do in order to make Faye understand that a week without sex was like a month for him? Was it because she was a woman that she didn't feel the need anywhere as much?

"Fine," Gaston finally grumbled aloud. Faye smiled & leaned closer to Gaston, hugging him tightly once more. With a sigh, Gaston hugged her back, rubbing his hand down her spine. Damn it all, Sunday couldn't come fast enough now.


	27. A New Start

_Author's Note:_

_It is so fricken HARD to remember Whitley's name! WINSTON WESTON WENTON WHITNEY FCK FCK FCK! Dx_

_P.S. Quick poll: Should I allow Faye to run or not? & should I make a possible sequel? Please answer in messages!_

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><p>Faye looked at herself in the mirror once more, unable to believe the transformation she'd undergone at the hands of her mother &amp; Belle. Although it was unbearably stuffy, the wedding dress she'd been put in was flowing &amp; fluttery as a princess gown, the color of deep ivory with a beautiful flower pattern sown into the material. It was such an elegant gown, she would have been insane not to wear it.<p>

After Faye had dressed into her wedding gown, she was put in a straight-back chair as Belle attacked her unruly red curls & her mother set about putting on make-up that would hide all of her freckles. In a scant 15 minutes, the transformation was complete. Faye was now ready to walk down the aisle… again.

"Momma, Momma!" a young girl cried out behind Faye a few moments later, "Momma, Toulouse won't give me back my doll!" A little boy & girl ran into the room shortly after, the boy running as fast as he could to hide behind Belle & stick his tongue out at the little girl.

"Cherrie is lying, Momma," the boy said with an angry scowl, "I don't want that ugly thing."

"She's not ugly!"

"Yes she is!"

"Children!" another voice called before Belle could respond to her squabbling children. Faye looked up to see Belle's husband entering the room, grabbing both of the children by their collars.

"Excuse me," the man said in an embarrassed tone, "Children, go find your grandfather right now & be quiet. Today is a big day for your Aunt Faye."

"Is that why Auntie looks like a princess?" Cherrie asked with a huge grin. Faye blushed lightly as Belle laughed lightly & herded her children back to the door.

"Yes, it is," Belle said, "Now go to Grandpa like your father said." With a pout, the children finally complied & ran out of the room. Faye smiled lightly & watched them leave, wondering if her future children would be anything like them. That is… if she were even going to have children. Just because her marriage was becoming public today didn't mean that she wasn't going to run away.

**…_..._...**

Gaston tried not to rip out his hair as he stood at the altar for the second time in his life, for the same exact woman as the first time. Why the hell was he so nervous right now? Faye was already his wife, damn it all. If her parents weren't so stuck up, he wouldn't even need to be going through all of this again. Would the whole world finding out that Faye was already married truly destroy them?

Finally, the nervous groom was pulled out of his reverie when the wedding organ began to play & everyone in the wedding hall began to sit down. Gaston was absolutely sick at the amount of snobby aristocrats, both old money & new money, watching him from their seats & mumbling among each other. They were no doubt gossiping among themselves to find out who Gaston was, discussing on his looks, money, or intentions concerning Faye. No doubt, he was being accused of using her or something equally demeaning, & all he could do was just grit his teeth & take the insults, more for Faye's sake than his own.

Thankfully, the sight of Faye appearing at the other end of the aisle was enough to pull Gaston back to reality & ground himself. It was time to make their marriage official, & damn it all if she didn't look like she was about to run off. It was almost comical to see her walking down the aisle as stiff as a board, apparently much more tentative than the first time she walked down it.

Lord Winters brought the veiled young woman to the altar & joined their hands before going to sit at the nearest pew. The wedding procession after took forever in Gaston's point of view, & Faye seemed to be agreeing to this fact. The vows seemed to be a lot less genuine the second time around. Either way, the guests didn't seem to notice, & the vows were repeated as quickly as possible before Gaston & Faye were publicly announced as man & wife. It was all Gaston could do not to let out a heavy sigh of relief as he led Faye out to the reception room. The worst part of this public spectacle was finally over… hopefully.

**…_..._...**

Faye was finally able to relax when she was sat in a chair in the reception hall, Gaston sitting at her side at their table. People were milling about merrily & talking in the ballroom, many coming over to wish the new couple well. After about an hour of pleasantries, however, Gaston decided he needed to do something before he got uncontrollably stir-crazy. He didn't even have to look over at his poor wife to know that she probably felt exactly the same as him.

With a complete lack of decorum, Gaston stood & pulled his wife to her feet, dragging her out to the middle of the ballroom where they were loosely surrounded by dancing guests. Faye looked up at her husband confusedly as he assumed the dancing position & clung to him in her large, fluffy wedding gown.

"This isn't proper, Jean," Faye stressed to her husband in a low voice, "My dress is much too large to-"

"Just put your feet on mine & hush, wife," Gaston growled to Faye in a low voice, "I will not spend my entire wedding just sitting around." Faye resisted the urge to smile & did as her husband instructed, shocked that he seemed to carry her feet on his with the slightest of ease, whisking her across the dance floor as if she were nothing. It was almost magical, & for once, she felt like a princess in her husband's arms. It almost made her forget that she needed to run away before he ran from her.

"May I cut in?" a voice asked from behind Gaston in a few short minutes. Turning to the voice, Gaston was greatly angered to see Belle's husband of all people, the great Prince Adam. Every part of Gaston wanted to squash the ex-beast where he stood, but he figured that doing such a thing would probably put off Faye more than ever before. With a deep, begrudging growl, Gaston gave his wife's hands to Adam's, before he was switched over to dancing with Belle instead. How much would he have to endure today, & why did he have to deal with Belle & her husband?Gaston held in his anger & led Belle around the dance floor as cordially as he could until the song was over.

"How is the beast these days?" Gaston grunted, barely louder than the music in the background. Belle kept a polite smile on her face & continued to follow along with Gaston's lead in the dance.

"Pussycat," Belle assured him, "Has Faye tamed you yet?" Gaston scowled at Belle & tried his best not to lose what was left of his patience with Belle. The woman always knew how to make his blood boil & it tormented him endlessly. But without warning, Belle's smug expression fell to something more serious, & she looked around Gaston's shoulder & made a low sigh as the song ended & the two parted from each other.

"Careful," Belle said softly, "I believe Lord Whitley decided to show up. Faye will be hysterical if he has his way & corners her." With that, she gave a short bow & made her way over to Prince Adam & their children. Gaston watched her go, trying to remember who the hell this Whitley was. He'd heard of the name, but couldn't quite remember who it was. & then he saw the miserable bastard.

Gaston's eyes narrowed angrily as he saw a man approach Faye across the room, her face paling considerably. But of course, the dumb girl was too cordial to shoo him off & accepted his offer to dance. Gaston narrowed his eyes & made his way over to his wife & the man obviously distressing her, grabbing her shoulder & pulling her behind him in a protective move. People around them became deathly quiet as whitley only looked at him with mild worry.

"You have some nerve, showing up," Gaston said in a casual voice. Whitley gave Gaston a mock expression of confusion & raised his hands in surrender.

"I assure you, I have no idea what you mean," Whitley defended himself. Gaston's brow furrowed & he took a step forward.

"Don't insult my intelligence," Gaston said in a low voice, "Now leave." Whitley quirked an eyebrow before straightening his suit & trying to compose himself. People were trying to act as if they didn't notice the small spat, but Gaston knew better than to assume that this wouldn't be the talk of aristocrats for weeks to come. At least for now, Whitley was subdued.

& now that he was leaving, Gaston turned to Faye & began pulling her by the arm to exit the reception. Like his typical self, Gaston ignored Faye's protests in his quest to escape the party, dragging her from the ballroom & up the stairs to their bedroom. He needed to get away from the people, music, & his damned, stuffy suit. & he needed Faye there to keep him from going downstairs with a musket down the throat of two men he despised more than anything else.

**..._..._...**

"You can't do that, Jean!" Faye yelped angrily as Gaston slammed his bedroom door shut & locked it. The hunter ignored his wife's protests & pulled down his constricting bow tie & collar before he made his way to his bed & sat on it with an ungraceful slump at the edge. God, he was too tired for another fight today. So help him, one day he was going to end up throttling his nagging wife.

Even now as she complied with his wishes & began to pull off her wedding pearls, Faye criticized Gaston's lack of manner. Her beautiful hair fell free next, & Gaston's watchful gaze loomed over her fingers as she pried her wedding band from her finger before she slid off her gloves & then put the ring back on. A lump of worry had built in his neck when she took off the simple trinket, & it annoyed him all the more.

"Faye," Gaston snapped, pulling the snippy woman from her lecture, "Come here."

"I will not, Jean," Faye huffed, "You are being a bully now. I big, mean, over-bearing, bully!"

Gaston grew tired of Faye's banter & stood, clearing the distance between them in just a few steps. All of a sudden, the hunter's sweet little wife couldn't seem to find sure footing & she fell against him, giving Gaston the perfect opening to lean down & give her a kiss. The old Faye was back now, & the dark blush staining her cheeks couldn't have come a moment sooner. Except...

"Get that horrible stuff off your face, wife," Gaston sighed, "I don't understand your pointless fixation in hiding your adorable freckles." To Gaston's delight, Faye's face grew redder & Faye nodded her head obediently, rather than the usual huffing & whining. Maybe she'd grown tired of being disobedient. Maybe he & Faye could have a fresh start with their second marriage.


	28. The Escape

The damned woman was gone when he woke up. Gaston couldn't remember another time that he was so pissed off, so filled with the agonizing rage that coursed through him. She wasn't in his bed, she wasn't in his bed, she wasn't _anywhere_. & then he found her ring on the bed stand. She actually took off her ring. & left it. The stupid woman was actually serious about leaving him, wasn't she? It took Gaston a few minutes to gather himself & fall apart. I mere month ago, he'd tell himself that he could move on if Faye wanted to be such a stubborn mule. But he couldn't do that now. He could barely sleep without her curled against him now.

Gaston felt ready to destroy anything in his path to get to his wife. But he knew better than that. Having such a fit would only make him look looney, & probably give her more of a chance to escape. Why was she so intent on running away?

When he finally grew sentient enough to get dressed, Gaston packed his things & got ready for departure. He knew how to get to Faye, & it wasn't with an unplanned, all-out search party. No, there was a better, organized way to get his hands back on his wife. One that would help him just in case he couldn't find the foolish woman.

Gaston made his way to Lord Winters' office wearing his finest suit & his long hair tamed. This father-in-law looked up at him in shock when he produced the contract provided before. He apparently hadn't expected Gaston to come around. But then, Gaston hadn't expected his wife to run off on him like she had.

There was no telling where that woman was now, & he needed the necessary power to bring her back. At all costs. Within a few minutes, he signed the contract, thereby making him the head of Winters Imports... no, it was Gaston Imports now. Faye wouldn't be able to travel the seas easily this way. Now he'd have to use his newly acquired money to search for her on land.

**..._..._...**

Faye took a deep breath as slumped back on her bed, her mind fuzzy with her worries & fears. Jean would be furious when he woke up. But she couldn't stay with him; she knew better than to stay until her husband grew tired of her. She just didn't know if she could take that. She'd rather leave while he still felt bad for her & she could remember how much he loved & cared for her.

The ship she'd just gotten on was luckily accepting last minute passengers, & with an odd amount of mutual discreetness. She was in a small passenger room with only a bag full of money & a few other things to survive off of. & one of Gaston's old coats. It would serve her well tonight & keep her warm. It would also let her have her husband's scent until she could get over being away from him.

looking down at where the ring used to be on her hand, Faye took a deep breath & forced herself to try & get used to it. Her finger felt naked now, desolate. but she'd get over it, she told herself. She'd lived without Gaston before. She could do it again. Maybe.

_-End.-_

* * *

><p><span><em>Author's Note:<em>

_So, it's obvious that I chose to let the girl run, & yes, it is normal for you to want to backhand her right now. But don't worry, my friends, things will work out! Eventually... xD_

_I will try to get the first chapter of the sequel in a jiffy, I swear. Be ready for action, happy times, & a badass Faye. Wait, did I just say Faye will be a badass? Hmmm..._


	29. -Face Lift In Progress-

**_UPDATE 2015:_**

Hey everyone, I know I've been gone for a long time, but since I've been gone, I've decided that I'm going to give this story some tweaking, some things minor, some huge. My writing & preferences have changed over the years, & I've been able to learn how to write better every since. I'm pretty confident I can approach some things I wasn't prepared to as a 17-year-old teenager, push forward some important character interaction/ development, & maybe give this story the extra kick it needs to be really great.

Please have patience, lovelings, & let me know how things are looking if you'd like to, whether you like the changes, whether they're a stretch, etc.

Currently, I am both updating on this site & uploading the chapters brand-new on my DeviantArt account, screen name: _vampire-muffin_. You will be able to tell what chapters have been rewritten by the disclaimer & new format on the story of each chapter on here, but it may be easier to keep up on DeviantArt if you have an account on there.

**The sequel will be up again & in progress soon enough, but currently, I am focused on rewriting my current stories & getting them at a level I want them to be.**


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